Words to know: Stomach and esophagus cancer
- Adenocarcinoma
- Cancer that starts in gland cells that make mucus. It is the most common type in the stomach and lower esophagus.
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Cancer that starts in the thin, flat cells lining the upper and middle esophagus.
- Esophagus
- The food pipe that carries food from the throat to the stomach.
- Gastroesophageal junction (GEJ)
- The place where the esophagus joins the stomach.
- Barrett esophagus
- A change in the lining of the lower esophagus caused by long-term acid reflux. It raises the risk of adenocarcinoma.
- H. pylori
- A common germ that can infect the stomach. Long-term infection raises the risk of stomach cancer. It can be treated with antibiotics.
- Endoscopy
- A test that uses a thin tube with a camera to look inside the body.
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
- An endoscope with an ultrasound probe that shows how deep a tumor goes.
- Staging laparoscopy
- A short surgery using a small camera to look inside the belly for hidden spread.
- Peritoneum
- The thin lining of the belly. Stomach cancer can spread there.
- Esophagectomy
- Surgery to remove part of the esophagus.
- Gastrectomy
- Surgery to remove part or all of the stomach.
- Perioperative therapy
- Treatment given both before and after surgery.
- Neoadjuvant therapy
- Treatment given before surgery to shrink the cancer.
- Adjuvant therapy
- Treatment given after surgery to lower the chance the cancer comes back.
- Chemoradiation
- Chemotherapy and radiation given during the same period.
- HER2
- A protein that helps some cancers grow. Some medicines target it.
- PD-L1
- A protein that helps cancer hide from the immune system. Its level helps predict if immunotherapy may help.
- CLDN18.2
- Claudin 18.2. A protein on many stomach cancer cells that a medicine called zolbetuximab can target.
- MSI-H
- Microsatellite instability high. A tumor feature that often means immunotherapy works well.
- Dumping syndrome
- Cramps, sweating, a fast heartbeat, or diarrhea when food moves too fast into the bowel after stomach surgery.
- Stent
- A small mesh tube placed to hold a narrowed food pipe open.
- Feeding tube
- A tube placed into the stomach or small bowel to give nutrition when eating is hard.
- Resectable
- Able to be removed with surgery.
- Metastatic
- Cancer that has spread from where it started to other parts of the body.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.