Risk Factors
No one knows the exact causes of stomach cancer. Doctors often cannot explain
why one person develops this disease and another does not.
Research has shown that people with certain
risk factors
are more likely than
others to develop stomach cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase
the chance of developing a disease.
Studies have found the following risk factors for stomach cancer:
Most people who have known risk factors do not develop stomach cancer. For
example, many people have
H. pylori
in their stomach but never develop cancer.
On the other hand, people who do develop the disease sometimes have no known
risk factors.
If you think you may be at risk, you should talk with your doctor. Your doctor
may be able to suggest ways to reduce your risk and can plan a schedule for
checkups.
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