What is adenocarcinoma gastric cancer? Dave Portnoy pays tribute as Barstool employee Jonathan Stanko passes away

After a long fight with cancer, Barstool Sports' production technician Jonathan Stanko passed away at the age of 32. Following the tragic incident, the company's creator, Dave Portnoy, paid tribute to him on social media.

Portnoy took to X on January 7 and wrote about Jonathan Stanko:

“Really sad news from the world of Barstool. We lost Jonathan Stanko to cancer yesterday morning. He was 32 years old and leaves behind a wife. He worked in our NY offices for close to 4 years and was well liked by literally everybody he worked with. (Very rare at Barstool)...”

He further said:

“It’s the 1st time we’ve had to deal with something this heavy in the 20 years of Barstool. A cruel reminder not to take a day for granted because tomorrow isn’t promised to anybody. #stankostrong…”

On April 29, 2024, Jonathan Stanko received a diagnosis of stage four Adenocarcinoma gastric cancer. On May 10, 2024, he shared his journey in a blog post. Jonathan Stanko added in the same article that doctors estimated that he would only have a little more than a year to live if he did not respond well to chemotherapy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, adenocarcinoma is a very common type of stomach cancer. As per sources like Cancer Center, it accounts for 90-95 percent of stomach cancers. It starts in the cells of the mucus-producing glands in the stomach's innermost lining and eventually spreads to other parts as the cells multiply.

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Jonathan Stanko had Adenocarcinoma gastric cancer

Adenocarcinoma accounts for 90-95 percent of stomach cancers. (Image via Getty Images).

As per Mayo Clinic, stomach cancer begins when something harms the cells on the inner lining of the stomach. It causes the cells' DNA to change. The modifications instruct the cells to proliferate rapidly.

While healthy cells would naturally die as part of their life cycle, cancerous cells continue to live. The stomach then develops a large number of additional cells as a result. Sometimes, tumors may also develop from the cells.

Adenocarcinoma begins in the mucus-producing cells. Depending on where it develops in the stomach, adenocarcinoma is classified into two major classes. One is gastric cardia cancer which begins in the upper inch of the stomach, just below where it connects to the esophagus. The second one is known as non-cardia gastric cancer which starts in any other part of the stomach.

Depending on how the cells appear under a microscope, it can alternatively be referred to as intestinal or diffuse cancer. Under a microscope, intestinal adenocarcinoma cells resemble healthy cells.

Diffuse adenocarcinomas, on the other hand, seem different from normal cells under a microscope. Usually, they are more difficult to treat and develop and spread more fast.

Additionally, the symptoms of adenocarcinoma are abdominal pain and digestive problems. It can also include bloating, nausea, lack of appetite, and heartburn. Furthermore, it can be caused by genetic, nutritional, and lifestyle factors, while its treatments include immunotherapy and surgery.

Adenocarcinoma can also be brought on by infections. Researchers have discovered a number of risk factors for adenocarcinoma, such as consuming a lot of salt, vitamin A and C deficiency, a lot of smoked or cured foods, drinking tainted water, and consuming a lot of calories.

Adenocarcinoma risk factors also include exposure to metal, coal, rubber, radiation, and smoking.

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Meanwhile, in a blog entry published on May 10, 2024, Jonathan Stanko revealed that he had stage four stomach cancer and that, should chemotherapy fail, he would have only 14 months to live.