Abdominal cancer includes stomach, liver, kidney, pancreatic, bowel, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Heredity and environmental factors may play a role in development, and age and race can increase the likelihood of diagnosis.
Abdominal cancer comes in several forms, all involving the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in a particular area of the body. The types of this cancer include stomach cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, bowel or colorectal cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer. There are a number of symptoms of abdominal cancer. These include, but are not limited to, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, night sweats, itchy skin, fever, jaundice, difficult or painful swallowing, loss of libido or difficulty in sexual performance, anemia , shortness of breath, constipation , diarrhea, prolonged or heavy periods, pale skin, abdominal pain and lumps, masses or swelling in the abdomen.
Treatment for abdominal cancer can vary depending on the patient’s type of cancer. Many of these cancers are treated with a three-pronged approach: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery may involve removing all or part of any tumor, determining how advanced the cancer is, and confirming the diagnosis. Organs that are not essential to sustain life may also be removed during surgery to prevent the cancer from getting worse or spreading. In cases of ovarian cancer, for example, the ovaries themselves can be removed to increase a patient’s chances of survival.
Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs to destroy cells that cause cancer. While chemotherapy can be effective, this treatment can also cause serious side effects such as nausea, hair loss, joint and muscle pain, and severe fatigue, among many others. Radiation therapy is also used to kill or shrink abdominal cancer cells, but instead of using drugs, this treatment uses high doses of radiation. More than half of those diagnosed with cancer include radiation therapy in their treatment plan. While radiation isn’t painful to receive during the exposure itself, it can cause side effects similar to chemotherapy.
No one is quite sure what causes most abdominal cancer. Theories vary, but researchers know that heredity is a factor in the development of ovarian cancer and other types of cancer of the abdomen. Genetic mutations passed down from generation to generation can increase the chances of developing cancer of the abdomen. Environmental factors such as diet and smoking may also play a role in the development of some types of abdominal cancer, such as stomach and liver cancer. Diets that include lots of fruits, vegetables, and fiber reduce your chances of being diagnosed with cancer of any kind.
The likelihood of being diagnosed with abdominal cancer also increases with age. Sometimes race plays a role; for example, African Americans are more likely to suffer from pancreatic cancer than those of other racial groups.
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