Stomach Cancer

Your provider will review your medical history, ask about your symptoms and perform a physical exam that may involve feeling for a mass in your stomach. They may order several tests to diagnose and stage stomach cancer.

Staging allows your provider to assess how much the cancer has spread. With stomach cancer, staging ranges from 0 (zero) to IV (four). Stage 0 means the cancer hasn’t spread beyond your stomach lining. Stage IV means that it’s spread to other organs.

• Upper endoscopy is commonly used to diagnose stomach cancer. During the procedure, your provider inserts a thin tube with a tiny camera at its tip (endoscope) into your mouth until it reaches your stomach. Small surgical instruments can pass through the endoscope, allowing your provider to remove a tissue sample (biopsy). The sample can be tested in a lab for cancer cells.
• Endoscopic ultrasound is a special kind of endoscopy that can help stage the cancer. The endoscope used has an ultrasound probe attached at its tip, that can take pictures of your stomach. It can show if the cancer’s spread from your stomach lining to your stomach wall.
• Radiologic tests, including a CT scan, barium swallow and MRI, can help identify tumors and other abnormalities that may be cancer-related. During a barium swallow, you drink a substance that makes your stomach lining more visible on an X-ray. A PET scan can show if cancer has spread throughout your body.
• Blood tests can offer information about how your organs are functioning. Poor organ function may indicate that cancer has spread to that organ.
• Laparoscopy is a type of surgery that allows your provider to assess cancer spread when less invasive methods, like imaging, haven’t provided enough information. During laparoscopy, your provider inserts a tiny camera into small cuts in your abdomen so they can see your organs directly.

Providers don’t screen for stomach cancer in the U.S. because it’s so rare. Still, if you have a condition that increases your risk, your provider may recommend regular procedures like an upper endoscopy to detect cancerous changes. Ask your provider about their recommendations based on your risk.