Nearly half of the world's gastric cancer patients are in China. How far is the distance from gastritis to gastric cancer?

1. About gastritis:

Although chronic atrophic gastritis is a "precancerous disease", it does not mean that you will die if you are diagnosed with it. It is still a long way from cancer, and even if cancer occurs, it will take several years or even decades.

*Precancerous diseases refer to certain benign diseases that have the potential to develop into cancer before they become cancerous.

2. About gastroscopy:

The average person does not need to rush to get a gastroscopy every year. In addition to screening for early cancer, people with other gastrointestinal discomfort or those over 50 years old can have a gastroscopy with the consultation of a specialist.

If you find words such as "neoplasm", "tumor", "ulcer", "dysplasia" on your gastroscopy report, you should pay attention to it. It is recommended that you consult a specialist for further consultation. Under the guidance of the specialist, you can start the next step of treatment.

3. About gastric cancer:

The 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer detected in the early stage can exceed 90%. For advanced or terminal gastric cancer, under the guidance of a specialist, it can be decided whether to undergo surgery or take targeted drug therapy.

"Targeted drugs" are drugs that attack the center of the target. Before they can be used effectively, there must be a clear site.

"HER2" is one of the most common and well-researched sites in advanced gastric cancer. It is like a traitor in the genes. Although it is also a gene, it madly promotes the growth and reproduction of tumor cells and provides more abundant blood for the tumor. With the help of HER2, the tumor becomes more rampant and difficult to kill.

Therefore, when a patient is found to have a "traitor" HER2 (i.e., HER2-positive), a comprehensive assessment can be conducted (including medical history, physical condition, baseline tumor status, HER2 status, cardiac function, etc.), and then a personalized plan can be customized for treatment.