Generalities:

Stomach cancer or gastric cancer is a type of malignant cell growth produced with the ability to invade and destroy other tissues and organs, particularly the esophagus and small intestine, causing about one million deaths worldwide annually. In metastatic forms, the tumor cells can infiltrate the lymphatic vessels of the tissues, spread to the lymph nodes and, overcoming this barrier, penetrate the bloodstream, after which the path to any organ of the body is virtually left open.

Stomach cancer affects mainly the elderly - two-thirds of patients with this type of cancer are older than 65. The risk of stomach cancer increases if:

• Have an infection with Helicobacter pylori

• You have had stomach inflammation

• It is male
  

• Eat plenty of salty, smoked or pickled foods
  

• Smoke cigarettes
  

• Have a family history of stomach cancer