Nitrates and nitrites - these chemicals are added to certain foods, such as processed or cured meats such as ham and bacon, sausages and other cold meats you normally find down at the deli. Nitrates and nitrites combine with other substances in your stomach to form carcinogens, which are known to cause stomach cancer.

Salted, smoked or pickled foods and red meat - in countries where consumption of salted meat and fish and pickled vegetables is high, the corresponding rates of stomach cancer are also high. Consuming high levels of red meat, especially when the meat is barbecued or well done, has also been linked to stomach cancer.

Tobacco and alcohol use - Both can irritate the stomach lining and are especially likely to cause cancer in the upper stomach area.

Low income groups - children and adults from low income groups are more likely to develop stomach cancer than are those in higher income groups. This is due to a number of reasons. The main problem is in poor countries with poor sanitation and unhygienic living conditions where H Pylori spreads quite quickly.

PREVENTION
From the above it is clear that the easiest way to prevent stomach cancer is to know the causes. Eradicating the H Pylori bacterium is the going to take most of the risk away but then you will also need to adjust your diet and general hygiene.

SYMPTOMS