End-of-Life Signs in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer
Jul 23, 2021
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Xiaojun
Introduction
In the late stages of gastric cancer, most patients exhibit the following symptoms: progressive loss of appetite—patients may experience complete anorexia, and ingestion of food often triggers severe nausea and vomiting. Invasion of the tumor into surrounding local nerves can cause severe abdominal pain. Patients may develop refractory ulcers, leading to upper gastrointestinal bleeding and, in severe cases, hemorrhagic shock.
Gastric cancer is actually very common in clinical practice. Whether patients have undergone surgery, experienced recurrence post-surgery, or have never received surgical treatment, most will develop the following symptoms by the advanced stage.
First, progressive loss of appetite—patients may experience complete anorexia, with no desire to eat anything and inability to tolerate food intake, often resulting in severe nausea and vomiting.
Second, abdominal pain—this occurs as the tumor invades local surrounding nerves.
Third, refractory ulcers—these ulcers may erode into major blood vessels, leading to upper gastrointestinal bleeding and even hemorrhagic shock, among other clinical manifestations.
Therefore, in patients with end-stage malignancy—i.e., those with advanced gastric cancer—severe systemic deterioration commonly develops, manifesting as hypothermia, hypotension, bradycardia, and profound malnutrition, among other clinical signs and symptoms.
