What are the symptoms of gastric cancer?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on May 02, 2025
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Symptoms of stomach cancer patients are like those of early-stage stomach cancer patients, who generally present with some nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and discomfort or acid reflux in the upper abdomen, similar to gastrointestinal ulcers or gastritis. These are some of the clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal symptoms. As the tumor progresses and invades the abdominal cavity or surrounding organs, the patient's symptoms will worsen, possibly causing overall abdominal bloating, discomfort, and even severe pain. Other symptoms include ascites, which is fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, vomiting, weight loss, anemia, and clinical manifestations such as vomiting blood or black stools, which are symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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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.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How is stomach cancer treated?

The treatment for gastric cancer now includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, among others. The specific treatment plan is formulated based on various factors such as the staging of the cancer, the patient's overall condition, and the presence of any underlying diseases, which are all taken into consideration before deciding on a treatment plan. For patients in the early stages who are generally in good condition, surgical resection can be evaluated and is primarily curative. Post-operative treatment decisions, such as whether to pursue adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depend on the pathology results and the presence of high-risk factors for recurrence. For patients in advanced stages who are found to have distant metastases upon diagnosis, treatment is primarily chemotherapy. Additionally, there are broad-spectrum targeted therapies against angiogenesis, such as apatinib, which are suitable for patients with advanced gastric cancer or those who do not respond well to chemotherapy, serving as a secondary or tertiary line of treatment. These are some of the treatment methods for gastric cancer. It is crucial that the use of any medication is conducted under the guidance of a doctor.

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

The common late-stage symptoms of gastric cancer patients include nausea, vomiting, and even a complete inability to eat. There are also symptoms related to the digestive tract such as pain in the upper abdomen and acid reflux, as well as upper gastrointestinal bleeding, such as vomiting blood and melena which are signs of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Late-stage gastric cancer patients may also experience organ metastasis, leading to corresponding symptoms. For example, metastasis of gastric cancer to the liver can cause abdominal pain and ascites due to hepatic metastatic tumors. Clinical manifestations caused by such metastatic tumors also include metastasis to retroperitoneal lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity, a common site of spread for gastric cancer. Patients may even show symptoms of intestinal obstruction, such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, inability to pass stool, or even absence of flatus, which are indicators of intestinal obstruction. Consequently, patients might experience weight loss and deteriorate into a cachectic state, marked by poor nutrition and significant weight loss, which are characteristic symptoms of late-stage patients.

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Written by Wang Hui Jie
Gastroenterology
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Early symptoms of gastric cancer

The early symptoms of gastric cancer are not specific or characteristic in clinical presentations, and there are no specific signs either. It can also be said that there are no symptoms or signs at all. Some patients may be diagnosed with gastric cancer after presenting with symptoms of bleeding, such as vomiting blood, blood in stool, or black stools. Therefore, it is recommended for individuals over 40 years old to consider undergoing gastroscopy, especially if they experience discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen, weight loss, or have a history of poor gastric mucosa conditions seen in previous gastroscopies, including atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, or ulcers, as well as a history of testing positive for Helicobacter pylori. Regular follow-up gastroscopies are advised under these circumstances.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
58sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of gastric cancer?

Symptoms of stomach cancer patients are like those of early-stage stomach cancer patients, who generally present with some nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and discomfort or acid reflux in the upper abdomen, similar to gastrointestinal ulcers or gastritis. These are some of the clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal symptoms. As the tumor progresses and invades the abdominal cavity or surrounding organs, the patient's symptoms will worsen, possibly causing overall abdominal bloating, discomfort, and even severe pain. Other symptoms include ascites, which is fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, vomiting, weight loss, anemia, and clinical manifestations such as vomiting blood or black stools, which are symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding.