Although the exact causes of stomach cancer are unknown, it is thought that heredity and environment are both contributing factors. Anyone who has a blood relation that has suffered from stomach cancer has a higher risk of developing the disease themselves. People from less industrialised countries are also at higher risk, as are poorer people from Western countries.
Higher risk can also stem from other causes, such as:
- Achlorhydria (a disease that produces lower amounts of gastric acid in the stomach)
- Atrophic gastritis (a stomach disorder where the lining of the stomach wastes away)
- Blood group A
- Food - particularly those high in salt and nitrosamines (a preservative used in cured meats such as bacon and ham). Conversely, foods rich in antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E) can help to protect against cancer.
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The bacteria can cause gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) stomach ulcers and gastric cancer.
- Pernicious anaemia (a type of autoimmune anaemia that affects the lining of the stomach and B12 absorption)
- Smoking - smokers are 4 times more likely to develop the disease
- Stomach ulcers (but not duodenal ulcers)
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