Stomach Cancer

[Anchor Lead]

Gastric cancer is the leading cause of death among Koreans, mostly affecting people in their 50s. Those in their 20s and 30s can also suffer from it as well. What's more, stomach cancer is more aggressive and hard to detect and treat in younger patients.

[Pkg]

This 29-year-old woman is receiving chemotherapy after undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. She first sought medical help because of the symptoms of gastritis, but it turned out to be stomach cancer.

[Soundbite] (Gastric Cancer Patient (29)) : "I had persistent symptoms of upset stomach and anemia. An endoscopy showed that I had Stage 3 gastric cancer."

Gastric cancer patients in their 20s and 30s account for only 5 percent of all patients, but their condition is more serious. Gastric cancer that affects young people is usually of diffuse type. Unlike intestinal gastric cancer, its tumor cells look like secreted mucus and do not protrude outside, making it difficult to detect and diagnose. Diffuse gastric cancer also has more aggressive tumor cells that often spread to other organs. Statistics show that stage 4 gastric cancer patients account for only 11 percent of all patients in their 40s, but the figure surges to 20 percent among people in their 30s. That's the reason gastric cancer is the deadliest form of cancer among people
in their 30s. Experts recommend people younger than 40 to receive endoscopy if they have continuous symptoms of indigestion or upset stomach. Those who have a family history of gastric cancer are advised to receive endoscopy regularly after the age of 30.