What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
Updated on September 21, 2024
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Gastric cancer can cause pain in the upper abdomen. If the condition gradually worsens, it can manifest as persistent pain, postprandial fullness and vomiting, belching, and lack of appetite; upper gastrointestinal bleeding, manifesting as vomiting blood, blood in the stool, and black stools; there can also be difficulty swallowing, weight loss and anemia. If bone metastasis occurs, it can manifest as bone pain and pain in the lower back. If a large amount of ascites appears, it can lead to abdominal distension, with shifting dullness detectable on percussion. If liver metastasis occurs, it can manifest as jaundice, and enlargement of the supraclavicular lymph nodes can also occur.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How to check for gastric cancer?

Gastroscopy is very important in the examination of gastric cancer, and taking a biopsy under gastroscopy is an important means of diagnosis. Other examinations include endoscopic ultrasound or enhanced abdominal CT and chest CT to assess the staging of the patient. With endoscopic ultrasound, we can see which layer of the stomach wall the tumor has invaded and then combine it with chest and abdominal CT scans to assess whether there is distant metastasis. Diagnosis requires gastroscopy with a biopsy taken during the procedure.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What can someone with stomach cancer eat?

For the diet of stomach cancer patients, they should focus on eating easily digestible foods and maintain a balanced diet with frequent small meals. They can eat meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. However, they should avoid cancer-causing foods such as pickled products and barbecued foods, as well as overly greasy or hard-to-digest foods. There are no specific dietary prohibitions. As long as the patient has a good appetite and can tolerate food, they can eat many types of food.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Mid-stage symptoms of gastric cancer

Symptoms of mid-stage gastric cancer can include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, decreased food intake, and upper abdominal pain, as well as symptoms related to the digestive tract. Some patients may also experience black stool or even vomiting blood, which are symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, there can be bloating and abdominal pain. If the tumor is located near the pylorus and causes pyloric obstruction, clinical symptoms will include vomiting, vomiting of overnight food, and resulting in gastric retention. This can lead to significant symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, acid reflux, and nausea.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Does early-stage stomach cancer hurt?

Symptoms of early-stage gastric cancer are generally not very obvious. Some patients may experience subtle symptoms resembling those of gastritis or gastrointestinal ulcers, including non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as discomfort and bloating in the upper abdomen, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. In terms of pain, early-stage gastric cancer patients might only experience a sensation of bloating or mild tenderness in the upper abdomen. Severe pain is usually associated with late-stage gastric cancer, occurring when there is extensive abdominal metastasis or tumor progression, and the tumor is large enough to cause significant pain, requiring analgesics for treatment.

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Is chemotherapy for gastric cancer torturous?

The first common side effect of chemotherapy drugs is gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, diarrhea, constipation, or bloating, and other such gastrointestinal symptoms. The second is bone marrow suppression, such as decreases in white blood cells and platelets; a decrease in white blood cells can easily lead to infections, and low platelets can lead to a tendency to bleed. There are also liver and kidney damage, numbness of hands and feet in the peripheral nervous system, and clinical symptoms such as fingernail darkening, pigmentation, or hand-foot syndrome caused by fluorouracil. The severity of chemotherapy side effects varies greatly among patients and is related to each patient's general condition, exhibiting significant individual differences. Some patients may experience severe reactions to chemotherapy, while others may have milder reactions. However, during chemotherapy, we provide corresponding symptomatic treatments such as gastric protection, antiemetics, and cardioprotection, among others, to try to minimize the side effects caused by chemotherapy.