What is hereditary diffuse gastric cancer?
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is an inherited condition associated with an increased risk of gastric (stomach) cancer. The stomach is the area between the esophagus (swallowing tube) and the start of the intestine. It is a reservoir for food, and the chemicals that help to digest food are made there. Some people commonly refer to the stomach as the entire abdomen. However, doctors make a distinction between the stomach, which is an organ, and the abdomen, which is the area of the body between the chest and pelvic bones that holds many organs. Diffuse gastric cancer is a specific type of stomach cancer that tends to affect much of the stomach rather than staying in one area of the stomach. The average age for someone with HDGC to be diagnosed with stomach cancer is 38; gastric cancers not associated with this syndrome tend to occur in individuals older than 60. Women with HDGC also have an increased risk of lobular breast cancer. People with HDGC may also have some increased
