Stomach cancer is characterized by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. Also called gastric cancer, this type of cancer is difficult to diagnose because most people typically don’t show symptoms in the earlier stages.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that stomach cancer is 1.7 percent of new cancer cases in the United States.
One of the biggest dangers of this disease is the difficulty of diagnosing it. Since stomach cancer usually doesn't cause any early symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed until after it spreads to other parts of the body.