What are the risk factors for stomach cancer?
Scientists don’t know why some people develop stomach cancer and others don’t. But they do know that some people are more likely than others to develop it. Things that make a person more likely to get a disease are called risk factors. Risk factors for stomach cancer include: • Aging. The rate of stomach cancer increases after age 50. Most people who are diagnosed with it are 70 or older. • Male gender. It is more common in men than in women. • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacteria that often lives in the stomach lining, is a major cause of stomach cancer. H. pylori bacteria can also cause stomach (peptic) ulcers. People with H. pylori infection are more likely to get stomach cancer than those who aren’t infected. But most people who have this infection never get stomach cancer. • Smoking. People who smoke are almost twice as likely to get stomach cancer as those who don’t smoke. • Diet. A diet high in smoked, dried, salted or pickled foods
