For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Find Out If Gastric Ulcer Leads To Cancer

By Sneha

A gastric or peptic ulcer is a sore that can develop on the walls of the stomach. When the protective lining in our stomach stops working it leads to inflammation or stomach ulcer. The digestive system gets eroded by acidic digestive juices and hence a sour stomach may be an early sign of this disease. Recent studies have established the link between a gastric ulcer and stomach cancer. Let's have a look at the various aspects of a stomach ulcer.

How Ulcer Leads To Cancer- Gastric ulcer is mainly caused due to the presence of a bacteria named helicobacter pylori. The infection caused by this bacteria is also linked to carcinoma. As a gastric ulcer is an open sore this bacteria can infect it easily. It causes mutations in the DNA and damages the cells of the stomach lining. A stomach infection caused by this bacteria is not easily curable. A long standing inflammation as such can lead to chronic inflammation of the stomach and even stomach cancer. The damaged gastric tissue is replaced by intestinal or fibrous tissue naturally. This transformation is one of the first symptoms of stomach cancer as it increases the chances of it's occurrence.

Gastric Ulcer Troubles

Never use too much of aspirin or other inflammatory drugs. They reduce the stomach's ability to produce a protective mucus. They also accelerate the production of acids in the stomach. Such medicines reduce the flow of blood to the stomach thus undermining the body's ability to repair cells. All these factors increase the chances of developing cancer.

Increased Risk- The chances of an ulcer turning to stomach cancer is heightened by certain factors. If you are suffering from gastric ulcer better stay away from these things.

Drinking, smoking or chewing tobacco can accelerate the chances of the ulcer turning into stomach cancer. They increase the production of stomach acids. So if you have stomach ache, nausea or vomiting, it's always better to get checked by a doctor as soon as possible. All these may possibly be the symptoms of stomach cancer. There is medication available for curing gastric ulcer before it reaches the cancerous stage. Medications involved as such reduce the acid levels in the stomach and prevent the chances of its recurrence.

Complications- Gastric ulcer is definitely curable; even stomach cancer to in the first stages is curable. But why allow a stomach ulcer to turn into cancer due to sheer negligence? The walls of the stomach get perforated and lead to cancer and internal bleeding.

So be wary of such complications and consult a doctor if you have any symptoms of a stomach ulcers.

Read more about: cancer ulcer