Gastric and Pancreatic Cancers Awareness Month 2025 - In Case You Missed It

Abdominal Cancers Alliance
Nov 24
5 min read

During November we recognized Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month to bring more attention to advanced forms of this cancer. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap for the month!

Understanding Gastric Cancer: Risks, Outlook, and Advances

Gastric cancer, also known as stomach cancer, is a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the stomach, which is responsible for breaking down food during digestion. Most (90-95%) gastric cancers begin in the stomach’s inner lining and are called adenocarcinomas. There are two main types of stomach adenocarcinomas: intestinal, which have a slightly better prognosis and are more likely to have certain molecular changes amenable to targeted therapy, and diffuse, which are more aggressive and more difficult to treat.

Regular endoscopies are a common screening method for detecting gastric cancers early, but they are typically only done in regions with a higher incidence, such as Asia, or in patients with a higher risk of developing the disease. Early-stage (localized) gastric cancers often have no or only vague, nonspecific symptoms, making it difficult to detect. Most symptoms do not occur until the cancer has spread to other tissues. As a result, more than 60% of gastric cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages, when the cancer has already spread beyond the stomach and is more difficult to treat.

Stomach cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. However, its incidence has been steadily declining over the past few decades, now representing only 1.5% of all new cancer cases in the United States. This decline is thought to be attributed to better storage methods for perishable foods, access to clean water, and treatment for Helicobacter pylori infections.

Gastric cancer has a high likelihood of spreading to the peritoneal cavity. Traditionally, this has been treated with palliative systemic chemotherapy, but this approach is linked to poor outcomes and treatment response. As a result, there has been a growing interest in more aggressive treatments that directly target the abdominal cavity, such as cytoreductive surgery with or without HIPEC. Although the current data is limited, emerging research suggests that select patients can benefit from this approach.

Pancreatic cancer is a rare and highly aggressive cancer that originates in the tissues of the pancreas. It often presents with vague symptoms, making it challenging to diagnose early. As a result, up to 80% of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, which significantly complicates treatment. [see References: 1] Peritoneal metastases, which commonly cause severe symptoms, are present in up to 14% of cases at diagnosis. [2] Furthermore, the peritoneum is one of the most frequent sites of recurrence, occurring in 40-50% of cases.[3]

Understanding Pancreatic Cancer:

Pancreatic cancer treatment typically involves a combination of systemic chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. Surgery is generally reserved for early-stage cases where the tumor can be entirely removed, offering the only chance at a cure. However, only a small percentage (10-15%) of patients are eligible for surgery as the tumor has typically spread by the time of diagnosis. For recurrent or metastatic pancreatic cancer, current treatments are mainly palliative and consist of systemic chemotherapy or participation in clinical trials. In some cases, minor surgeries may be performed to help alleviate symptoms, such as bile duct or stomach blockages. Given the poor survival rates of 2-6 months and the limited treatment options, there is a need for alternative therapies. While cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is not a standard treatment for pancreatic cancer, there is some interest in exploring this approach due to its success in treating other abdominal cancers.

While there is abundant information on more conventional treatments for Pancreatic Cancer, our focus here will be on the rationale and available data supporting the use of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) in these specific cases. It is important to emphasize that evidence regarding the benefit of CRS/HIPEC for Pancreatic Cancer remains limited. Nevertheless, reports suggest potential benefits for certain patients facing Pancreatic Cancer with rare indications for CRS/HIPEC.

Key Facts about Gastric Cancer

1️⃣ The majority (>60%) of gastric cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, where cancer has already spread beyond the stomach to surrounding tissues and/or lymph nodes, making it more difficult to treat and resulting in a poorer progosis.

2️⃣ Common signs can include persistent indigestion, bloating, nausea, early fullness, or unintentional weight loss—but these are often mistaken for other conditions.

3️⃣ Gastric cancer is highly aggressive and typically requires a combination of treatments (multimodal therapy), including surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.

4️⃣ Early detection saves lives. When diagnosed at an early stage, gastric cancer is highly treatable with surgery and other targeted therapies.

Risk Factors

1️⃣ Age – Most diagnoses occur between ages 60-80

2️⃣ Lifestyle – Diets high in smoked foods, salted fish and meats may increase risk

3️⃣ Family History – Genetics can also play a role

4️⃣ More common in African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders

Signs & Symptoms of gastric cancers can be similar to other conditions and are often non-specific.

1️⃣ Weight loss

2️⃣ Nausea/Vomiting

3️⃣ Abdominal or pelvic pain/tenderness

4️⃣ Persistent abdominal pain

5️⃣ Anemia

6️⃣ Early satiety

Evaluation

A physician may use some or all of these evaluation methods to diagnose uterine and endometrial cancers.

1️⃣ Physical exam to check for lumps, swelling, or discomfort

2️⃣ Upper endoscopy (EGD) to look inside the stomach

3️⃣ Imaging tests like CT, MRI, or PET/CT to see if cancer has spread

4️⃣ Blood work including tumor markers (CEA, CA 125, CA 19-9)

5️⃣ Barium swallow study in some cases to view the upper digestive tract

Treatment

Most patients receive a combination of treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation.

1️⃣ Surgery offers the best chance for long-term survival when the cancer is caught early, and minimally invasive options may be possible

2️⃣ Chemotherapy can shrink tumors before surgery or reduce recurrence afterward.

3️⃣ Radiation may help shrink tumors or ease symptoms.

4️⃣ For disease that spreads to the abdomen, CRS/HIPEC (surgery + heated chemo) may improve outcomes for select patients.

5️⃣ Newer approaches like laparoscopic HIPEC and PIPAC are being explored and bring added hope.

The prognosis for gastric cancer is most accurately estimated after the final pathology from surgical resection is completed; however, initial clinical evaluation can help guide early treatment decisions and surgery. Prognosis is strongly linked to the stage of disease at diagnosis. Early stage gastric cancers, particularly those confined to the stomach, have 5-year survival rates of greater than 90%, with recurrence risk typically less than 5%. In contrast, the 5-year survival rate for stage IV gastric cancer is reported to be as low as 4%. Other key prognostic factors include histologic type, lymph node involvement, and the completeness of cytoreduction, with worse survival seen in patients with signet ring cell histology, positive lymph nodes, and residual disease after initial surgery. Interestingly, survival outcomes are often reported to be better in Asian populations compared to Western populations. This disparity may be due to genetic differences, treatment factors, or other unknown reasons.

Learn More about Gastric Cancer

Learn more about Pancreatic Cancer

Arm yourself—and your loved ones—with the information that matters.

Even the most proactive patients and advocates can only act on what they know. Help us spread the word about gastric and pancreatic cancers!

Thank You

Thanks for joining us on social media this month to learn more about gastric and pancreatic cancers and help spread the word!