The most common stomach cancer symptoms

Stomach cancer is an oncological disease connected with the injury of the stomach tissue. Unfortunately, this type of cancer is very rarely distinguished in the early stages. The main reason of it is that the stomach cancer symptoms, particularly those initial, have such an insignificant form that it’s extremely difficult to detect them. And quite often there are no symptoms at all.

At the earliest stage of stomach cancer, when the disease first spreads only within the lining of the stomach, and then affects the nearby lymph nodes, it is almost impossible for a person to recognize this condition. The stomach cancer symptoms are scant and vague. Not only diseased people, but also the doctors themselves can easily consider them the clinical presentations of gastritis or alike conditions, and cannot prescribe the necessary treatment.

The most early stomach cancer symptoms are the following: the feeling of discomfort or diffuse pain in the upper area of the abdomen or its middle part, fatigue and weight loss. The latter is a troublesome sign only when it is unintentional. Two more symptoms related to the early stages are indigestion and heartburn, a kind of a burning sensation in the said area of the abdomen.

The next sign is bad appetite, particularly for meat. Loss of appetite may be transitory, but if it goes on, and if it is becomes more significant while being connected with the symptoms mentioned above, one should visit a doctor and pass some gastroenterological tests. Making an early diagnosis is a half of a successful treatment.

Some more stomach cancer symptoms are nausea and bloated feeling after having a meal. Moreover, these signs appear after eating even a very small amount of food.
The said symptoms may be accompanied with disturbing changes in the mental state of the person, such as depression, loss of interest to the outward things etc.

As the stomach cancer becomes more advanced, the tumor grows deeper into the muscles of the stomach. It can attack all the layers of the stomach tissue and spread into the neighboring internal organs. At this stage a person can experience such symptoms as stomach pain which becomes stronger and stronger, as well as mounting weakness, anemia and nausea. The latter is very often aggravated by eating, as well as the pain in the upper or middle abdomen. Bloating of the stomach and vomiting after meals are also rather frightening symptoms. In the advanced stages internal blood loss can also cause such stomach cancer symptoms as vomiting of blood and black dejection due to the blood in the faeces.

The appearance of a diseased person may also change. The skin becomes pale, and in the late stages of cancer it may even turn to some ashy, sallow shades.
However, experiencing one or more of the abovementioned stomach cancer symptoms is a serious reason for one to consult a doctor. These signs don’t mean that you have this disease, but you should do everything to exclude the chance of stomach cancer or make an early diagnosis.

What are the stomach cancer symptoms?

Stomach cancer, which is also known as gastric cancer, is one of those rare diseases, incidence of which can hardly be distinguished. It happens so because the stomach cancer symptoms, especially at the earliest stages of disease, are very vague. It can be even said that often there are no symptoms at all.

But still, there are some signs which, even though they may be easily attributed to some other medical conditions. Let’s take them up in particular.
The very first symptoms of stomach cancer can be the feeling of discomfort or dim pain in the middle of upper area of the abdomen.

One more worrisome sign is unplanned weight loss associated with weakness and fatigue. These can be the symptoms of stomach cancer, since it causes microscopic internal bleeding and anemia. As it is prolonged, it weakens a person day by day. So if you are experiencing these feelings and, moreover, the lack of appetite, please consult a doctor. Some medical tests will increase the possibility of early diagnosis.

As the cancer is more advanced, one may experience such symptoms as increasing stomach pain, mounting weakness and nausea. The latter is aggravated by eating, as well as the pain in the upper or middle abdomen. Besides, after having a small meal one may have a kind of quite full feeling. Bloating of the stomach and vomiting after meals are also rather frightening symptoms, together with heartburn and indigestion.

In this stage internal blood loss goes on, and it can cause such stomach cancer symptoms as vomiting of blood and black faeces. The second sign is on account of presence of blood in the dejection.
You can do some more things to avoid the risk of having this disease. You can stop smoking cigarettes and adjust your diet so as to make it healthier. If you eat too much fried and smoked food, especially salted fish and meat, and if your diet is high in nitrates and salt and low in vitamins, then you increase the risk of having the stomach cancer, as well as the other kinds of cancer.

Certainly, there are some other factors of risk for stomach cancer. The most common among them is Helicobacter pylori infection. Still, only a small amount of people who are infected with this bacterium develop stomach cancer. Then, it’s male gender. According to the statistics, men are more likely to have stomach cancer. One more risk factor is race: the said disease is far more common among Asian, African Americans, Hispanic and Pacific Islander. Oncologists also admit that the possibility of stomach cancer appearance can be increased because of some health problems which cause inflammation of the stomach.

Nevertheless, if you are experiencing one or more of the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer mentioned above, it doesnt mean that you definitely have stomach cancer symptoms. A number of other conditions, such as stomach virus, peptic ulcers or ordinary food poisoning, can cause analogous problems. But you should immediately visit your doctor in order to exclude the possibility of stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer symptoms. Cancer risk factors

When the food falls to the stomach, it mixes up with gastric juice. Gastric juice is developed by the inside layer of a stomach named a mucous membrane. In most cases the stomach cancer develops here exactly, under the mucous membrane and after that tumour extends in the deeper layers of stomach and this time disease symptoms become visible. Unfortunately it is very difficult to explore stomach cancer symptoms in early growth stage but nowadays scientists have some methods to indicate it.

Stomach cancer develops very slowly it’s a reason of difficult symptoms exploring. Cancer can damage nearest organs or spread other organs by lymphatic system. If cancer starts to spread it is very difficult to stop this process. During such development cancer’s cells penetrate to the liver, lungs and bones. It is impossible to stop cancer spread on this stage.

The majority of stomach tumour kinds named adenocarcinoma but there exist a lot of other tumours. Scientists underline some risk factors of acquire stomach cancer symptoms.

Firstly it is bacterial infection. Last years a lot of attention was given to a special infection of a stomach named helicobacteriosis. Such infection makes because of Helicobacter pylori which is main reason of stomach cancer symptoms. Statistics show that 40% of people have this bacterium. Prolonged existence of this infection can become a reason of inflammation or damage of inside stomach layer (epithelium). But facts show that majority of people who are infected by helicobacteriosis dont have stomach cancer.

Second factor which scientists underline it is meal. It should be noted that people who eating a considerable quantity of smoked products, salty fish and meat, marinated vegetables and some kinds of the food with starch and without cellulose have a risk to acquire stomach cancer. On the other hand taking of fresh fruits with a lot of vitamins like «A» and «C» reduces risk of stomach cancer.
Smoking and alcohol double risk of stomach cancer symptoms.

People who had undergone any operations on a stomach concerning other diseases, such as an ulcer acquire stomach cancer in most cases.

The stomach cancer develops more often at men in comparison with women.
After 50 years in most cases sharp increase of stomach cancer probability exists.
Scientists also underline some stomach cancer symptoms:

  • Inexplicable slimming and absence of appetite
  • Pain in the region of stomach
  • Sense of overflow after minor food intake
  • Heartburn, breach of digestion, symptoms like ulcer
  • Sickness
  • Vomiting with or without blood
  • Growth of stomach size
  • Growing of skin pallor

Certainly the majority of these symptoms can be consequences of others diseases, not by cancer. But if you have these symptoms during long time especially if you are 50 and you are included in the list of dangerous factors it is real cause to apply to doctor.

If you already have cited above stomach cancer symptoms it is better to apply to doctor. Doctor inspects your stomach and tests it if there is a tumour. Moreover he detects if your liver is grown it can be signal of liver’s lesions process. Then special methods of inspection which will allow to confirm or reject stomach cancer symptoms will be spent. It is carried out thanks a number of proved methods.