Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Program

Stomach Cancer

Risk Factors

The following factors may increase a persons chance of developing stomach cancer:

Age: Stomach cancer most often occurs in people over the age of fifty-five and, in the United States, is rarely seen in persons under age forty.
Gender: Men are twice as likely than women to get stomach cancer.
Race: Stomach cancer is more common among African-Americans than among whites in the United States.
Diet: Stomach cancer occurs more commonly in people who frequently eat dried, salted, pickled, or barbecued foods.
Previous stomach infection: Persons have had a stomach infection caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori may be at a higher risk for cancer of the stomach. Several other stomach disease disorders may also result in an increased risk for developing stomach cancer.
Occupation: Stomach cancer is more common among coal miners, metal refiners, and other workers who inhale dust and fumes containing carcinogens.

The chances of getting stomach cancer also are higher if a person has had an infection of the stomach caused by Helicobacter pylori ( bacterium that commonly affects people over the age of fifty).

Other factors that increase the chances of getting stomach cancer are a stomach disorder called atrophic gastritis or Menetriers disease, a disorder of the blood called pernicious anemia, and a hereditary condition of growths (called polyps) in the large intestine.

This page was last updated on: March 3, 2008.

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