Causes

Who is more likely to get stomach cancer

Anyone can get stomach cancer. It's not always clear what causes it.

You might be more likely to get it if you:

are over the age of 50
are a man
have a history of infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
have certain stomach conditions, such as long-term, severe acid reflux, gastritis or a condition called pernicious anaemia, which affects your immune system
have a brother, sister or parent who's had stomach cancer

Many stomach cancers are also linked to lifestyle.

How to reduce your risk of getting stomach cancer

Do

try to quit smoking
try to lose weight if you are overweight
cut down on how much salt you eat
try to cut down on alcohol and avoid drinking more than 14 units a week
try to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
wear protective clothes and masks if you work in a job where you're exposed to harmful chemicals, such as in the rubber industry or coal mining

Important

It's important to get any symptoms of stomach cancer checked by a GP.

Even if you do not think you fit into any of the groups with a higher chance of getting it. Anyone can get stomach cancer.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
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