People with stomach cancer often have an infection with helicobacter pylori (a bacterium) but not everyone who has this infection will develop stomach cancer. Stomach cancer is more common in East Asian than Western countries.
You may be at risk if you:
- Are older than 50 years
- Eat a lot of smoked foods, salted fish, cured meat and pickled foods. Eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamins A and C lowers the risk of stomach cancer
- Have a family member who has had stomach cancer
- Have pernicious anaemia (low red blood cells), which prevents you from absorbing enough vitamin B12
- Have chronic gastritis, a long-term stomach inflammation
- Smoke tobacco