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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What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?

Symptoms of gastric cancer, especially in the early stages, generally include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, discomfort or bloating in the upper abdomen, pain, and acid reflux as some of the gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as vomiting blood and black stools. Black stools are tar-like stools, and their occurrence indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, if the tumor causes pyloric obstruction, the patient will vomit food eaten the night before, be completely unable to eat, and experience a significant weight loss. In even more advanced stages, gastric cancer patients may develop a cachectic state.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How is gastric cancer treated?

The treatment methods for gastric cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as broad-spectrum targeted therapies against angiogenesis, such as apatinib. Immunotherapy is also an option. However, the specific treatment plan is based on a comprehensive consideration of various factors, including the stage of the cancer and the general condition of the patient. The principle is that for early-stage gastric cancer patients, if the surgeon assesses that surgery is feasible, then radical surgical treatment is primarily used. For advanced-stage patients who are in generally good condition, chemotherapy is the main treatment, combined with a consideration of whether to undergo radiotherapy. For those in very advanced stages, who may not be in good health or those who have had chemotherapy with poor results, anti-angiogenic drugs like apatinib can be chosen as a subsequent treatment.

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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 are the symptoms of gastric cancer?

The symptoms of gastric cancer patients are generally common gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, and discomfort and bloating in the upper abdomen, especially aggravated after eating. As the condition progresses, symptoms may include vomiting blood or black stools. When the cancer invades surrounding organs, clinical symptoms such as abdominal effusion, abdominal distension, and pain may occur. If the tumor is located near the pylorus and causes pyloric obstruction, symptoms of pyloric obstruction will appear, such as gastric retention, acid reflux, and vomiting of overnight food. Additionally, if the tumor bleeds, it may cause severe vomiting of blood. Therefore, different stages of the disease present different symptoms. If gastric cancer progresses to the late stage with metastasis to distant organs, clinical manifestations corresponding to the sites of metastasis will also appear.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Symptoms of gastric cancer

Symptoms of gastric cancer include nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, pain in the upper abdomen, and a sense of fullness and discomfort, especially after eating, which are some of the early symptoms. As the tumor progresses, symptoms can worsen, including pain, vomiting of blood, and black stools indicating upper gastrointestinal bleeding. If the tumor is near the pylorus, it can cause pyloric obstruction, which manifests as acid reflux followed by vomiting of undigested food from the previous night. In the late stages of gastric cancer, patients may experience fatigue, weight loss, severe cachexia, and anemia. These are symptoms of advanced gastric cancer.