Stomach Cancer Metastasis (Spreading)

What is stomach cancer metastasis?

Stomach cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the inner lining of the stomach. Stomach cancer metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the stomach to other places in the body. After the cancer spreads, it can form new cancer growths (tumors). These tumors are called metastases.

A stomach tumor may grow through the stomach's wall into nearby organs, such as the liver, pancreas, esophagus, spleen, or intestine. Cancer cells may also break away from the stomach tumor and spread through the bloodstream or lymph system to other parts of the body.

How does stomach cancer occur?

The exact cause of stomach cancer is not known. Several conditions may increase the risk of stomach cancer, such as:

• infection of the stomach with bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
• chronic gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
• being male or older than 60
• a diet high in salted, smoked, or poorly preserved foods and low in fruits and vegetables
• a mother, father, sister, or brother who has had stomach cancer
• a personal or family history of polyps in the stomach or small or large bowel
• pernicious anemia, which is a low count of red blood cells caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
• previous surgery to remove the end of the stomach for peptic ulcer disease.

What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms may include:

• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• abdominal or stomach fullness
• trouble digesting food
• nausea
• pain in the upper belly, especially during meals
• jaundice (skin and eyes turn yellow)
• an enlargement in the lower neck, usually on the left, if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the neck
• sometimes lower abdominal pain from spread to the ovaries in women.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and examine you. You will have blood tests to look for anemia caused by bleeding from the cancer. Blood tests can also check for spread of the cancer to the liver.

Other tests may include an upper GI X-ray, for which you swallow barium. The barium coats the stomach lining and makes the stomach easier to see on X-ray film. You will also have a procedure called an endoscopy, where a slim, flexible, lighted tube is passed through your mouth and down into your stomach. This tube, called an endoscope, allows your healthcare provider to look in the stomach for abnormal areas. Your provider uses the scope to take a piece of abnormal tissue for lab tests. This is called a biopsy.

You will also need a CT scan of the abdomen, chest, and pelvis.

How is it treated?

Depending on where the cancer has spread, you may need surgery. More likely, chemotherapy (anticancer drugs) will be used to control the new tumors. Radiation can treat the stomach or the bones if there are painful metastases in the bones.

Your provider will probably also recommend chemotherapy to reduce symptoms. However, it may not be very helpful.

How long will the effects last?

Unless it is a lymphoma or a rare tumor called a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, stomach cancer is usually not curable if it has spread beyond the stomach lining and nearby lymph nodes. It can be controlled only for a limited time, and it is impossible to tell how long that time might be. Talk to your healthcare provider about the expected course of your disease.

How can I take care of myself?

After you determine with your healthcare provider and family the treatment you prefer at this stage, follow the plan and keep your appointments. If you seek help outside the medical community, keep your provider informed about other drugs or treatments you are using to avoid side effects or interactions with your medical treatment. In addition:

• Ask your provider for specific diet instructions.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Learn relaxation and meditation techniques to help control fear, anxiety, and stress.
• Spend time with people and do activities you like.
• Join a cancer support group.
• Find a counselor to help you deal with difficult issues.

How can I prevent stomach cancer metastasis?

If you are diagnosed with stomach cancer before it has spread, follow your treatment and follow-up plans carefully. This may help avoid or delay spread of the cancer. See your healthcare provider right away if any signs or symptoms of cancer come back.