Cancer is a fatal condition that begins to develop when cells of the body begin to grow beyond control. These cells that surround any part of the body can become cancerous and spread to the rest of the regions within the body. Stomach cancer is also known as gastric cancer. One should not confuse stomach cancer with the remaining forms of cancers that may develop in the abdomen, which comprises a large intestine, pancreas, small intestine, and liver.

The cancer of the stomach usually develops gradually over a period of years. Prior to the development of the cancer, there are changes that occur in the mucosa or the person’s stomach’s inner lining. These are considered to be the initial changes that rarely may lead to symptoms, due to which they mostly go unnoticed. The cancer that begins in various regions of the stomach may lead to various symptoms. The location of the cancer will impact the treatment opted for.

For instance, the cancers that develop at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) are said to be staged and may receive treatment that is similar to that administered to esophagus cancer. The cancer that begins in the cardia usually has the possibility of spreading into the GEJ, which is also considered to be staged and is treated with the same treatment that is administered for the cancer of the esophagus. Mentioned below are some of the types of stomach cancers to provide a better understanding of the condition:

1. Adenocarcinoma
A majority of the cancers of the stomach are adenocarcinomas. Such cancers start from the cells present in the mucosa or in the stomach’s inner lining.

2. Lymphoma
Such a type of stomach cancer is related to the tissues in the immune system that can sometimes be found in the wall of the stomach. The outlook and treatment option will be based on the type of lymphoma a person has developed.

3. Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
This is another type of stomach cancer that develops in the early forms of cells present in the stomach’s wall. Such cells are collectively known as interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). A few of these tumors are benign, which means that they are non-cancerous, while the remaining are cancerous. Even though this type of stomach cancer may be found in any part of the person’s digestive tract, it is usually seen in the stomach.

4. Carcinoid tumors
Such tumors develop in the cells that produce hormones and are present in the stomach. A majority of these tumors don’t spread to the rest of the organs.

The other types of stomach cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, and small cell carcinoma that also start in the stomach. However, these are rare types of stomach cancers.