Gastric Cancer Fourth Biggest Killer in Hong Kong

Food with high nitrite content, as well as salty, preserved and smoked food, may be closely related to gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in 50% of the population in Hong Kong, is also found to have close relationship with gastric cancer.

Fresh fruits and vegetables help prevent gastric cancer as they are rich in vitamin C, minerals andtrace elelments. On the other hand, deep-fried food should be avoided. Personal hygiene, such as washing hands frequently and avoiding contact with excreta and vomitus, is vital to keeping Helicobacter pylori infection away.

Symptoms of gastric cancer, including stomachache, black stool, and loss of appetite, weight and strength, may not be obvious in early stages. A tumour at the pylorus may cause vomiting while one at the cardia may cause difficulties in swallowing.

Surgery is the most important and potentially effective treatment for gastric cancer. Recently, pre-operative(neoadjuvant) chemotherapy has been used to reduce thesize of gastric tumour, so that the surgery can be performed. Minimal invasive surgery can help which is currently used at an early stage of the cancer and can substantially reduce the size of the wound and shorten recovery time.

Extract from the health feature by University of Hong Kong