Well, indeed, he may well have had a gastric (as opposed to a duodenal) ulcer. The former can predispose to a carcinoma. However chronic gastric ulcers were less stress related than the duodenal type. His father (as you well know) died fairly young of gastric cancer. Sadly, the Emperor was not only the victim of his own downfall, but, most likely a target of imperfect genetic disposition. Michael.