SCRIPT NUMBER 117
STOMACH CANCER - 2
(TWO SPEAKERS)
PROGRAM NAME: HEALTH NUGGETS
PROGRAM TITLE: STOMACH CANCER-2
PROGRAM NUMBER: 117
SUBJECT: CAUSES, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF STOMACH
CANCER
KEY WORDS: BLOATED, NAUSEA, HEARTBURN, SMOKED AND PICKELED
FOOD, REFINED GRAINS, H. PYLORI
DATE OF SCRIPT: JUNE 21, 2013
AUTHOR: RICHARD YUKL, MD, FACS
SPEAKER 1:
Izo was an apparently healthy Japanese man who began
having discomfort in his stomach after eating. At times, he felt bloated after even
a small meal, and he often felt nausea to the point of vomiting. He lost his
appetite, so he didn’t eat meals regularly and started losing weight. Over time,
Izo felt more and more tired with less and less energy. He visited his doctor, who
found him to be anemic with no clear reason for the anemia. The doctor
conducted a series of tests, and, sadly, Izo was found to have a cancer in his
stomach.
SPEAKER 2:
Stomach cancer is the second most common cancer on
Earth. It is a major cause of death in many parts of the world, killing threequarters of a million people every year. For that reason, we want to talk about
stomach cancer today.
SPEAKER 1:
If I were developing a stomach cancer, how would I know it?
SPEAKER 2:
The stomach is a muscular sac in the upper part of your
belly just below your ribs. It receives and holds the food you eat, and it starts the
process of digestion. If your stomach begins to fill with cancer, it can accept less
and less food before feeling full. The symptoms of stomach cancer include a
feeling of being overfilled or bloated after eating even small meals, stomach pain,
nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Other symptoms include a loss of strength and
heartburn.
SPEAKER 1:
What causes stomach cancer?
SPEAKER 2:
Doctors have struggled for decades to learn the cause. They
have long known that there is a strong connection between stomach cancer and
diets that are rich in smoked, salted and pickled foods. Izo, like many Japanese,
ate this very type of diet his entire life, and stomach cancer is a significant
problem in his country. It has recently been discovered that H. pylori is a
bacterium, or germ, that lives in the stomach of up to half of all adults. This germ
produces a chemical called ammonia to neutralize stomach acid, making an
environment in which it can survive. Unfortunately, the ammonia also poisons the
stomach’s lining tissues, causing them to deteriorate. That deterioration, in turn,
allows for severe inflammation in the stomach, and cancer can develop in the
stomach wall.
SPEAKER 1:
How is stomach cancer treated?
SPEAKER 2:
Treatment depends on the overall health of the patient, and
how far the tumor has spread to other parts of the body. If the diagnosis is made
early when the cancer is still small, and if the patient remains strong enough to
tolerate surgery, all of the cancer can be removed, leaving a portion of healthy
stomach behind. Large cancers, on the other hand, require removal of the entire
stomach along with a margin of healthy surrounding tissues. A new “stomach” of
sorts is then constructed out of small bowel to store food like the stomach did.
SPEAKER 1:
In addition to surgery, what other treatments are available?
SPEAKER 2:
Pre-operative radiation can make the cancer smaller and
easier to remove. Radiation can also be used after surgery to destroy cancer
cells that may have been left behind during the operation. And, radiation after
surgery can be combined with drugs designed to kill cancer cells that have
spread beyond the stomach.
SPEAKER 1:
Will I survive if I develop a cancer in my stomach?
SPEAKER 2:
Survival depends on your health and the size of the tumor. If
you remain otherwise healthy at the time the cancer is diagnosed, and if the
tumor is small and has not yet spread, a ten-year survival of up to 65% can be
expected. Sadly, patients whose health has been destroyed by the disease, and
those whose disease has already spread, can only expect a survival lasting 8-9
months.
SPEAKER 1:
Because the available treatments for stomach cancer often
fail to cure the disease, it seems reasonable for me to do whatever I can to
prevent developing the disease. How can I do that?
SPEAKER 2:
There is increasing scientific evidence that certain diets help
protect people who are infected with the H. pylori germ against developing
stomach cancer. One research study has shown that the vitamin C found in fresh
fruits and vegetables can actually rid the body of the germ in up to 30% of
patients, lowering the stomach cancer risk. And, the fiber found in fruits and
vegetables has been shown to help lower the incidence of stomach cancer in
those who remain infected with the germ.
A whole variety of foods have been shown to increase your risk of developing
stomach cancer. Because the germ uses sugar as its source of energy, foods
that are high in sugar are best to be avoided. Other foods found to be associated
with a high incidence of infection and stomach cancer include chocolate, coffee,
meat, dairy products, smoked and pickled foods, refined grains, alcohol and salt.
SPEAKER 1:
How much difference does my being careful about my diet
make?
SPEAKER 2:
As one example, people infected with the H. pylori germ who
eat a diet high in salt have a 10-times greater risk of developing stomach cancer
compared to people who eat a low salt diet.
SPEAKER 1:
Let us review how one can help protect themselves against
developing stomach cancer.
SPEAKER 2:
Diets that offer the best protection are ones rich in raw fruits
and vegetables and low in meats and highly processed foods. Also, limiting the
intake of the specific foods known to be associated with stomach cancer is
helpful. Finally, if you start developing suspicious symptoms, see a doctor early.
Early treatment can save your life.
SPEAKER 1:
Health Nuggets is written by Dr. Richard Yukl, a medical
doctor working in the United States. The medical views expressed in this
program are his and may differ for your particular health needs. If you need
medical advice, please consult a medical professional in your area.