Stomach Cancer Survival Rate

As it is obvious from the name, stomach cancer refers to the cancer of the stomach. The stomach is actually like a sac-like organ that has its location in the upper middle area of the abdominal area. Medical experts also refer to this condition as gastric cancer. Reports say that the incidences of stomach cancer is actually on a declining rate in the United States. However, in other parts of the world, such as Japan, people are commonly stricken with the disease.

Causes and Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

Experts are not sure what exactly causes cancer of the stomach. However, they assume that a diet that consists more of salty, pickled or smoked foods, could be responsible for contributing in the development of the cancer.

Common symptoms include:

• Bloating (usually felt post eating)
• Heartburn
• Stomach ache
• Digestion problems
• Nausea or vomiting
• Unintended weight loss
• Feeling full even after small meals

Prognosis

If you are not aware, prognosis of a disease signifies the medical opinion about the way it would progress or about its outcome. It must be known that prognosis is just a mere prediction and does not have to be taken for granted. It also depends upon multiple factors. They may include the type of cancer, the location that has been affected, the stage the cancer has progressed to, the nature of the cancer, and the person's age and overall health. So weighing all such factors is what drives a doctor's prediction about the disease.

Survival Statistics

The aim of stomach cancer survival statistics is to provide the patients a simplified overview of the disease and what impact it would cause. One such statistic was presented by the American Cancer Society. In the United States about 22,280 patients were diagnosed with the disease in 2006. Another record in the United Kingdom, revealed that in the year 1971, about 14,100 patients could not survive the disease. And the same study when conducted in 2008, showed a number of 5,200 people. That means, the number of deaths fell by 63%.

When we speak of the survival rate of stomach cancer, it refers to a study which derives the percentage of patients who were able to survive the cancer, after the disease was diagnosed. Now many statistics take a period of about 5 years. Meaning, the statistics provides the percentage of patients who were able to survive for 5 years post the diagnosis. For instance, according to a medical study, the survival rate that was estimated for patients with stomach cancer from 1995 - 2001 was 23.2 percent.

Here is a table that might help you understand the statistics. The study was conducted for the period 1998-2001. It mainly shows the percentage of people who survived for 5 years or more than that. The study was based on race and sex.

Race and Sex	Percentage
White Men	19.9%
White Women	23.9%
Black Men	21.5%
Black Women	24.2%

Now to get a better understanding of the survival rate, we have to know about the 5 stages of the cancer. And in each of these stages, the survival rate is determined by doctors, based on the severity of the symptoms.

Stage 0
In stage 0 the patient is diagnosed with the formation of abnormal cells in the stomach. The survival rate happens to be the highest here; 89 percent.

Stage 1
Coming to stage 1, here, if the abnormal cells turn cancerous, then the rate dwindles to 78 percent. And if the cancer is diagnosed to have spread to the lymph nodes, then the figure comes down to 58 percent.

Stage 2
The survival rate shows a figure of 34 percent, if doctors diagnose that the cancer has spread to the intricate tissues of the stomach and lymph nodes. This is stage 2.

Stage 3
Upon reaching the stage 3, the cancer goes deeper into the stomach tissues and cuts the rate down to 20 percent. This is known as stage 3A. In this stage itself, if the disease is found to have hit the outermost part of the stomach and more than 7 lymph nodes, the survival becomes low, i.e. 8 percent.

Stage 4
And finally in the 5th stage, if there are more than 15 lymph nodes which have been jeopardized by the cancer, then the survival rate is 7 percent.

Being diagnosed with any type of cancer can be frightening and disheartening for the patient. Following the recommended treatment procedures, and being updated with latest findings of the disease, may help one to cope with the condition.