Around 9200 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK each year. There are several different types of stomach cancer, some of which are very rare.

The most common types of stomach cancer start in the glandular cells of the stomach lining and are known as adenocarcinomas.

Other types of cancer that can affect the stomach are soft tissue sarcomas. These are rare cancers that usually start from the cells of the muscle layer of the stomach. The most common type of sarcoma to affect the stomach is a leiomyosarcoma.

Another type of sarcoma is a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). These cancers start in the tissues that support the organs of the digestive system. GISTs behave differently from other types of sarcoma and are treated very differently.

Another rare type of tumour that can affect the stomach is a lymphoma. Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system. The main type to affect the stomach is a MALT lymphoma (also known as a MALToma).

The stomach can also be affected by a type of tumour known as a carcinoid tumour.