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