Stomach cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach. Also, known as Gastric cancer, it affects the elderly more than the adult. According to the American Cancer Society, about 6 of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older. Also, the lifetime risk of developing stomach cancer is higher in men (about 1 in 101) than in women (about 1 in 155).

A health expert, speaking to a leading media house, emphasized five common symptoms of stomach cancer that should not be ignored:

1. Unexplained weight loss: Losing weight without trying or experiencing an unexplained drop in appetite, which may signal cancer progression.

2. Pain in the upper part of the abdomen: Persistent or occasional pain in the stomach area, often after eating, can become more severe as the condition progresses.

3. Frequent vomiting after meals: Nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, may occur especially after meals and is linked to cancer blocking or irritating the stomach.

4. Vomiting blood, which may appear coffee-colored: This can indicate bleeding in the stomach, often caused by ulcers or tumors, and requires immediate medical attention.

5. Black, tarry stools: This occurs when blood from the stomach is digested and passed through the intestines, signaling potential internal bleeding

There are also other concerning signs that should not be overlooked such as jaundice, unexplained weight loss, early onset of diabetes, dark stools, and loss of appetite. Health experts strongly advise seeking immediate medical attention if you notice any of these symptoms. If you or a loved one experience these signs, it's crucial to visit a physician for a thorough evaluation to rule out serious underlying health conditions.

How Does Stomach Cancer Spread?

Oncologist Dr Pankaj Kumar Pande, Director–Surgical Oncology, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi explained that this form of cancer spreads through three main pathways: Direct spread, lymphatic spread, and bloodstream.

1. Direct Spread: In its early stages, stomach cancer can invade nearby tissues and grow into the deeper layers of the stomach or spread to surrounding organs such as the oesophagus, liver, pancreas, or intestines.

2. Lymphatic Spread: Cancer cells can travel through the lymphatic system. The most common areas affected are the regional lymph nodes near the stomach, particularly those around the liver and diaphragm.

3. Bloodstream: "Cancer cells can enter the bloodstream and travel to distant parts of the body," which is a common route for stomach cancer to metastasize to distant organs.

He further explained that cancerous cells spread from the original tumour to other parts of the body through a process called Metastasis. The most common sites for the spread are the liver, lymph nodes, peritoneum, lungs, bones, and ovaries.

For decades, cancer has been considered a disease of older age. But a number of cancers are increasingly being diagnosed in people under 50. According to a new international study, the rates are rising faster among younger adults than in older age groups.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) examined cancer data from England, the US and the Netherlands, identifying dramatic increases in early-onset cancer for seven cancer types in England, five in the US and four in the Netherlands.

The rise is particularly alarming in some cancer types. In England, the rate of prostate cancer among men under 50 increased from about 1 case per 100,000 in 2001 to 3.6 per 100,000 in 2023.

The rates of bowel, kidney and womb cancers also more than doubled among younger adults.

In the US, kidney cancer among people under 50 increased from 2.5 cases per 100,000 in 2000 to 5.3 per 100,000 in 2023. Bowel, uterine, and pancreatic cancers also rose by more than 50%, while breast cancer increased by about 20%.

The Netherlands also recorded significant increases in early-onset bowel, kidney, liver and cervical cancers.

Why Cancer Is Increasing Among Younger People?

Also read: H. pylori, HPV Among Five Infections Behind 1 In 8 Cancers Worldwide: Lancet

According to WCRF, several known cancer risk factors like including obesity, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and exposure to environmental pollutants, could be the drivers behind this surge. The organisation also says that around 40% of cancers are linked to modifiable risk factors.

Obesity is a major red flag as excess body fat can lead to chronic inflammation, altered hormone levels, and harmful metabolic changes that could promote cancer development over time. However, experts also say that obesity alone cannot explain the whole picture.

Other possibilities include changes in gut bacteria, exposure to certain toxic chemicals and pollutants, antibiotic use, and other factors. These areas still remain under investigation.

The findings do not mean that cancer has suddenly become common among young adults. Age remains the biggest overall risk factor for cancer, and the majority of cancers still occur after 50, with the average or median age at diagnosis in developed countries generally above 60.

But the changing pattern is important because cancers occurring in younger adults can be diagnosed later when symptoms are initially attributed to less serious conditions.

Dr Giota Mitrou, executive director of research and policy at the WCRF said, “Behind every figure is a person facing cancer earlier than they, their family and often their doctor would expect."

“While cancer is still much more common in older adults, these changing patterns among younger generations need to be treated as a serious research and cancer prevention priority,” she added.

Also read: FDA Approves Targeted Cancer Drug As First-Line Treatment For CLL That Cuts Progression Risk By 80%

Other Factors Contributing To The Surge

Better diagnostic tools and technology could also be a reason behind the rising cases. Greater awareness of cancer symptoms and people seeking medical care earlier can increase the number of cancers detected. But researchers say these factors do not fully explain the pattern.

The fact that rates are increasing for some cancers while others are falling is particularly important. For example, lung cancer rates among younger people have declined in some countries.

Researchers are now trying to understand which exposures may be increasing cancer risk decades earlier than expected.

In the UK, a major study involving around 250,000 adults is being launched to investigate factors contributing to rising bowel cancer rates among younger people.

The US is actively advancing government-funded clinical trials of ibogaine, a psychedelic drug that remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance and has been linked to several dangerous health effects, including irregular heart rhythm.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now seeking public input on how early-stage clinical trials of ibogaine should be designed, including dosing, patient selection, and safety monitoring.

The move comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April, directing federal agencies to accelerate research into psychedelic drugs for serious mental health conditions.

The federal government has allocated $50 million for ibogaine research. The first government-funded trials will focus on adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research is being supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Clinical Interest In Ibogaine

Also read: FDA Links Lettuce To Cyclospora Outbreak That Infected Almost 13,000: Here's Why Mexico Disputes It

Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound derived from the iboga shrub, which primarily grows in parts of Central and West Africa. It has sparked interests of scientists and researchers as it is reported to reduce drug cravings and alleviate symptoms of withdrawal. In a nutshell, it has shown benefit in people with opioid and other substance-use disorders.

Unlike existing addiction treatments, ibogaine can produce a prolonged psychedelic experience and affects several neurological systems.

Researchers are investigating whether these effects could help alter brain circuits related to addiction and reduce substance use.

But it must be noted that plenty of this evidence comes from observational studies, open-label research, and small clinical trials. Therefore the FDA is trying to ramp up more evidence rather than introducing the drug directly into widespread medical use.

Safety Concerns Related To Ibogaine

Also read: After 488 Sickened & 65 Hospitalised In Salmonella Outbreak, FDA Issues Highest-Risk Recall For Salad Dressing

Ibogaine and its metabolite noribogaine could disrupt the heart's electrical system and prolong the QT interval, a measurement of the time taken for the heart to electrically reset between beats.

Excessive prolonged QT can trigger dangerous ventricular arrhythmias, including Torsades de Pointes, which can prove to be fatal.

Although considered rare, a 2026 review published in Addiction found that these cardiac events have occurred at therapeutic doses and even in people without known heart disease.

Ibogaine could also lead to neurological toxicity. Reuters reported that FDA officials have highlighted both dangerous heart arrhythmias and brain toxicity as risks that need to be better investigated and understood before the drug can be developed more safely.

Why US Is Accelerating Research Despite The Risks?

The FDA's recent request seeks input on dose escalation, clinical settings, cardiac and neurological monitoring, eligibility criteria, stopping rules and independent safety. A proposed starting dose for early-phase studies would not exceed 10 mg/kg.

The agency has also said that people with serious conditions that have not responded to existing treatments deserve rigorous investigation of new options.

“Patients facing serious conditions that have not responded to existing treatments deserve rigorous scientific investigation of promising new approaches,” said Michael Davis, MD, PhD, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“With ibogaine, there are important scientific questions as well as serious safety concerns. We are seeking high-quality data and input that can help inform clinical research while putting patient safety first.”

Ibogaine's Schedule I classification means that under the US federal law it is considered to be most likely be used for abuse and it cannot be currently accepted for medical use.

Items under this category carry extensive restrictions on possession and research. But Schedule I classification does not mean a substance can never be studied. Rather, research of such compounds require regulatory controls and approvals.

The FDA has already allowed an early-stage study of noribogaine hydrochloride, which is a desrivative of ibogaine, for alcohol use disorder. It means that the regulator is actively seeking to study psychedelic drugs that could have medicinal potential.

Several people who came into contact with a woman who died of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Russia’s Irkutsk Region have tested positive for COVID-19 and rhinovirus, the country’s sanitary watchdog said.

“Laboratory tests have confirmed two COVID-19 and two rhinovirus infection cases,” Rospotrebnadzor said, adding that no other infectious disease pathogens were detected among the contacts, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

The development comes amid reports that the woman, a researcher at an anti-plague institute in Siberia, may have been exposed to Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague. Russian authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause of her illness or death.

What Happened in Russia?

Also read: Russia Plague Outbreak: Lab Worker Dies Of 'Unknown Infection' After Suspected Exposure

The researcher was identified by Russian reports as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute.

Russian media initially reported that Shipilova had broken a test tube containing plague bacteria in late September, subsequently developed severe pneumonia and died.

However, Rospotrebnadzor said her diagnosis was “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Expanded testing did not identify microorganisms associated with her professional activities.

The World Health Organization said Shipilova died of severe pneumonia overnight into October 2 and that the cause of death had not been confirmed, The CBS News Report said.

Nearly 200 people who may have had contact with her have reportedly been placed under medical observation.

Rospotrebnadzor said the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Irkutsk and Shelekhov remained stable and that special measures had been implemented following her death.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Rospotrebnadzor was the lead agency with expertise in the matter and urged Russians to follow information from its “highly qualified professionals”, media reports said.

Trump Offers US Help

US President Donald Trump has offered to help Russia after a laboratory worker died following an illness at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia, amid reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case.

Russian authorities, however, have said the situation is under control and have not confirmed plague.

“We’ll help,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Everybody who has that kind of a problem, we’ll always help”.

Describing the plague as a “rough disease,” Trump said he had not spoken to Russian officials about the case but that the US would do what it could to help.

“That’s a disease we used to be able to control,” Trump said, adding that “somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and stronger, they’re like an army.”

“They called it pneumonia, and pneumonia, you know, years ago, you could treat pneumonia easier. The microbes and the germs have gotten stronger disproportionately. But we’ll help them, we’ll help them,” Trump said.

Read More: Russia Plague Scare: Could It Trigger A New Pandemic? Experts Explain

US, EU Monitor Situation

The US State Department said it was monitoring the reports with the CDC and other agencies.

CDC officials said plague is a known and treatable disease, with antibiotics particularly effective when treatment begins early.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the situation was “not cause for alarm” but warranted continued monitoring.

The European Commission said it was “monitoring very closely” the reports and was in contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

WHO Says Public Risk Is Low

The World Health Organization said testing was underway and the cause of death had not been confirmed.

The WHO said it was in contact with Russian authorities and had offered support if needed. Based on available information, it assessed the risk to the general public as low.

What Is Pneumonic Plague?

Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium generally found in small mammals and their fleas.

The same bacterium caused the Black Death, which swept across Europe in the 14th century and killed an estimated 25 million to 50 million people.

Plague can occur in several forms. Bubonic plague primarily affects the lymph nodes, while pneumonic plague affects the lungs and is the form most capable of spreading directly between people.

Pneumonic plague can become rapidly life-threatening without treatment but is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed and treated promptly.