What is gastric and GE junction cancer?
Gastric cancer starts in the stomach or in the gastroesophageal (GE) junction. The GE junction is where the esophagus (tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach) meets the stomach.
Stomach cancers tend to develop slowly. Pre-cancerous changes often occur in the inner lining (mucosa) of the stomach. These early changes rarely cause symptoms and therefore often go undetected.
Cancers starting in different sections of the stomach may cause different symptoms and tend to have different outcomes. The cancer’s location can also affect the treatment options. Your medical oncologist will discuss the specifics of your stage and treatment options with you.
More information about gastric cancer (National Cancer Institute)
What gastric and GE junction cancer is not
Stomach cancer should not be confused with other gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal, liver, pancreas, neuroendocrine, or GIST because these cancers can have different symptoms, outlooks, and treatments.
Common types of gastric and GE junction cancer
- Adenocarcinoma –The most common type, adenocarcinomas develop from the cells that form the innermost lining of the stomach (the mucosa).
- Carcinoid tumor – starts from cells in the stomach that produce hormones.
Diagnosis
It’s possible that you could have one or more of the following tests (but not all of these will apply to your condition):
- Physical exam
- Endoscopy
- Imaging
- Biopsy
Treatment
Depending on your unique set of conditions, your treatment could include one or more of the following treatments (but not all of these will apply to your condition):
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Surgery
Your full team of care providers will work closely together to review your diagnostic tests, identify the best course of treatment particular to you, and help you understand your diagnosis and what to expect with any treatment you have.