Five Early Symptoms of Gastric Cancer
Disease description:
My appetite has inexplicably worsened, I feel full after eating just a little, and I frequently experience mild pain in the upper abdomen. Online sources say it could be stomach cancer; I would like to know what the early symptoms of stomach cancer are.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Qi Zhirong
Early symptoms of gastric cancer may include upper abdominal discomfort, indigestion, abnormal bleeding, anemia, nausea, and vomiting.
Upper abdominal discomfort usually presents as intermittent dull pain, which may gradually worsen and become persistent as the disease progresses. About 70% of patients experience this symptom, which resembles symptoms of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and other related conditions, thus it is easily overlooked.
Persistent indigestion, such as postprandial fullness, belching, and acid reflux that shows poor response or no response to conventional treatment, may indicate early gastric cancer. Melena or blood in the stool may occur, and fecal occult blood tests may be positive. At this stage, the amount of bleeding is usually small and can be misdiagnosed as bleeding from an ulcer. Loss of appetite and gastrointestinal bleeding may lead to symptoms of anemia such as fatigue and dizziness.
Frequent nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, especially if blood is noticed in the vomitus, should raise high suspicion. If the above symptoms appear, prompt medical attention is recommended for related examinations, such as gastroscopy and blood tests, to rule out or confirm gastric cancer.
