Gastric Cancer
What
is gastric cancer?
Most cancers of the stomach are adenocarcinomas, a type of cancer that
develops in the mucosal
cells that form the innermost lining of the stomach. Other types of
stomach cancers include
lymphomas and sarcomas. Stomach cancer can be hard to detect early. Often
there are no
symptoms in the early stages and, in many cases, the cancer has spread
before it is found. As the
disease progresses, the cancer may invade the stomach wall and/or
metastasize (spread to other
parts of the body). Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is the
growth of abnormal cells in
the lining and wall of the stomach.
Several conditions may be precancerous and may increase the risk of
stomach cancer. They
include:
1. Atrophic gastritis, chronic gastritis (inflammation of the stomach
lining), and infection by a
certain type of bacteria.
2. Pernicious anemia: a chronic vitamin-B12 deficiency anemia that occurs
in older adults
characterized by numbness and tingling in the
extremities
3. Achlorhydria: low levels or absence of hydrochloric acid in gastric
juice.
The
definition of a tumor is a mass of quickly and abnormally growing cells.
Tumors can be either
benign or malignant. Benign tumors have uncontrolled cell growth, but
without any invasion into
normal tissues and without any spread. A malignant tumor is called cancer
when these tumor cells
gain the propensity to invade tissues and spread locally as well as to
distant parts of the body. In
this sense, gastric cancer occurs when cells in the lining of the stomach
grow uncontrollably and
form tumors that can invade normal tissues and spread to other parts of
the body. Cancers are
described by the types of cells from which they arise. Over 90% of gastric
cancers arise from the
lining of the stomach. Since this lining has glands, the cancer that comes
from it is called
adenocarcinoma. Although there are other cancers that can arise in the
stomach (lymphomas-from
lymph tissue, leiomyosarcoma-from muscle tissue, squamous cell
carcinoma-from lining without
glands), the vast majority are adenocarcinomas.
What is “Cancer”
Insurance?
Cancer insurance
provides benefits only if you get cancer. If yes, then Cancer policies
sold today
vary widely in cost and coverage. If you decide to purchase a cancer
insurance policy, contact
different companies and agents, and compare the policies before you buy.
Cancer insurance is
sometimes referred to as a specified disease or dreaded disease policy.
It is also necessary if you
are considering the purchase of cancer insurance or other specified
disease type coverage, it is a
good idea to carefully review your current health insurance policies.
Before going for cancer
insurance you should make it clear from agent or company that all
expenses will be covered by
policy or only hospital costs will be bared by cancer insurance policy.
Many cancer insurance
policies have fixed cost limits. Cancer insurance is not a substitute for
comprehensive coverage. |
