Symptoms of stomach cancer

Symptoms of stomach cancer allow you to diagnose a gastrointestinal disease and start the necessary treatment in time. Let's consider what stomach cancer is, how to identify it and, most importantly, how to cure this disease.

Stomach cancer is a serious disease that occurs due to precancerous, pathological processes. It is very difficult to diagnose this oncological disease at early stages. Difficulties arise due to the huge symptomatology of the disease and the lack of a clearly expressed picture of the disease.

Symptoms of stomach cancer occur due to the growth of malignant cells in the body's tissues. Almost 90% of cancers are adenocarcinomas, which arise from malignant cells lining the stomach walls. In some cases, lymphomas occur, which make up 3 to 7% of cancers in the gastrointestinal tract. Both types of cancer need to be accurately diagnosed based on symptoms, since neglected disease can lead to death.

Adenocarciomas are not diagnosed in the early stages, they can be diagnosed only after they grow to such a size that they can be removed surgically. All this leads to the fact that the diagnosis of stomach cancer and the study of the symptoms of the disease is a complex process that only professionals can do. But if stomach cancer is treated in time, the disease will recede and will not entail fatal consequences.

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Early Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

Early symptoms of stomach cancer are very difficult to track, but they can also be used to diagnose the onset of a serious disease. The first symptoms of stomach cancer are very vague and scanty. Both patients and doctors often consider early symptoms of stomach cancer to be gastritis or peptic ulcer disease. Therefore, all treatment is limited to taking various medications and following a special diet, but the cancer continues to progress. If you pay close attention to the symptoms of the disease at an early stage, you can track a number of symptoms that allow you to diagnose stomach cancer.

The symptoms of stomach cancer at an early stage were first diagnosed by the famous oncologist L. I. Savitsky. It was Savitsky who introduced the concept of the syndrome of minor signs. These symptoms themselves do not represent anything significant, but they allow experienced oncologists to diagnose stomach cancer at an early stage.

• Early stages of stomach cancer development do not manifest themselves with any symptoms for quite a long time and do not cause discomfort to the patient. Sometimes symptoms of stomach cancer in the early stages present themselves in the form of polyps and gastritis, that is, precancerous diseases. Often, this fact becomes the reason for late seeking medical help. Thus, according to statistics, more than 80% of patients seek medical help only in the late stages of stomach cancer. No more than a year passes from the onset of the disease and the early symptoms of stomach cancer.
• Some patients with early stages of stomach cancer may experience stomach discomfort - heaviness in the epistral region, heartburn or belching. General symptoms of stomach cancer are very rare. Symptoms of stomach cancer in the early stages largely depend on the location of the tumor. This relationship can be traced only in advanced forms of stomach cancer.

Vivid symptoms of stomach cancer begin to appear in the last stages. Patients begin to suffer from constant headaches that radiate to the back, vomiting, weakness, anemia and rapidly progressive weight loss are also possible. If the patient has stenosis, that is, a narrowing of the outlet of the stomach due to a tumor, then after eating there is a feeling of overeating, belching, vomiting, nausea. In addition to these symptoms, the patient's appearance also changes. The skin becomes pale and loses its elasticity; in the last stages of stomach cancer, the skin takes on an earthy hue.

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The first symptoms of stomach cancer

The first symptoms of stomach cancer are manifested in causeless weakness and changes in well-being. The patient feels constantly tired, and the level of work capacity is also significantly reduced. Decreased appetite and even aversion to food are also considered the first symptoms of stomach cancer. In addition, the patient experiences stomach discomfort, a feeling of heaviness from a small meal, nausea, and vomiting.

The first symptoms of stomach cancer are accompanied by rapid weight loss, which is accompanied by pale skin, depression, loss of interest in others, in work, complete alienation and apathy. All these symptoms can appear both in a completely healthy person and in a person who has just suffered from a stomach disease, ulcer, gastritis or other.

As the disease progresses, the tumor also grows, giving the body new symptoms of stomach cancer:

• Diarrhea, constipation, bowel movement disorders.
• An increase in the size of the abdomen due to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, that is, ascites.
• After eating, there is a feeling of heaviness and nausea, sometimes vomiting occurs.
• Rapid, uncontrolled weight loss.
• Pain in the upper abdomen that extends to the back.
• If the tumor has destroyed blood vessels, gastrointestinal bleeding may occur.

In case of gastric bleeding, the patient feels a sharp weakness, in some cases there may be a loss of consciousness. And also there is severe vomiting with dark blood with clots and black stool. If the tumor has burst, then the patient develops peritonitis, which is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, high temperature.

Stomach cancer mainly affects elderly and middle-aged people. It is the stage of the disease that makes it possible to predict the outcome and prescribe treatment. Please note that the first stages of stomach cancer are treatable and have a favorable prognosis. If you want to avoid the possibility of getting stomach cancer, then review your habits. Give up smoking and alcohol abuse, treat gastrointestinal diseases and gastritis in a timely manner.

Symptoms of stomach and intestinal cancer

Symptoms of stomach and intestinal cancer at the initial stage of development are very minor, so they are difficult to determine. Let's look at the main symptoms of stomach and intestinal cancer:

• Discomfort, pain and unpleasant sensations in the navel area.
• Nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
• A feeling of heaviness after each meal and rapid satiety.
• Difficulty swallowing, decreased appetite or complete loss of appetite.
• Bleeding may occur as cancer cells eat away at blood vessels.
• Apathy, weakness, fatigue.

Symptoms of stomach and intestinal cancer may be latent. Gradually, symptoms manifest as intestinal obstruction and colitis. The most informative symptom of stomach and intestinal cancer is the presence of blood in vomit and feces.

Symptoms of stomach and esophageal cancer

Stomach cancer, like esophageal cancer, is the most common disease, almost 90% of esophageal lesions are cancerous tumors. The esophagus consists of three sections, the most vulnerable is the third, which is located at the level of the 4-6 thoracic vertebra.

The main symptoms of stomach and esophageal cancer:

• The disease is virtually asymptomatic or disguises itself as an inflammatory disease.
• The first symptom of esophageal cancer is a feeling of discomfort, burning and discomfort in the retrosternal region, which can be diagnosed as esophagitis.
• The symptoms also include difficulty with dysphagia and swallowing. This symptom is a sign of a large tumor that narrows the esophagus. Dysphagia begins to develop slowly, in stages.

1. At the first stage, there is pain when swallowing solid food; during meals, you have to wash down your food with water.
2. At the second stage, it is difficult to swallow even mushy food.
3. At the third stage, it is almost impossible to drink liquids due to severe pain.
4. At the fourth stage, there is complete obstruction of the esophagus, which causes apathy and fatigue.

Symptoms of Signet Ring Cell Gastric Cancer

Signet ring cell gastric cancer is a histological form of gastric carcinoma. The disease is characterized by the fact that the tumor is more than 50% composed of cells with mucin contained in the cytoplasm. Mucins are glycoproteins with polysaccharides. The main function of mucin is to protect the body from viruses and infectious diseases.

The following symptoms of signet ring cell gastric cancer are distinguished:

• Vomit.
• Nausea.
• Belching.
• Painful sensations in the stomach area.
• Digestive disorders.
• Pain when swallowing.
• Weight loss.
• Decreased appetite.
• Gastric bleeding in stool and vomit.

Please note that in the early stages the disease does not make itself known and the symptoms of signet ring cell gastric cancer are very difficult to notice. But this is very dangerous, since the disease is fleeting and quickly moves from the first stage to the last - irreversible.

Stages of stomach cancer

Like all cancers, there are stages of stomach cancer. Stomach cancer is divided into four stages, depending on the strength and extent of organ damage and the spread of the cancerous tumor. Let's consider the main symptoms and features of each of them.

• Stage 0 stomach cancer – cancer cells are found in the mucous membrane of the stomach, but not in more than 6 lymph nodes. It is almost impossible to diagnose stage 0 stomach cancer. Medicine knows of few cases where stage 0 was correctly diagnosed according to the patient’s symptoms.
• The first stage of stomach cancer - submucous tumors and cancer cells appear, but not in more than 6 lymph nodes. If there are more cancer cells, then we are talking about a subserous tumor, but the cancer cells do not spread to neighboring organs or lymph nodes.
• The second stage of stomach cancer - the tumor has spread under the mucous membrane. Cancer cells have affected 7 to 15 lymph nodes. In other cases, if at this stage no more than 6 lymph nodes are affected, then the main tumor may be in the muscular layer. The peculiarity of this stage is that the tumor has not affected the lymph nodes, but has penetrated the outer layer.
• Stage 3 stomach cancer - the tumor is in the muscular layer and has spread to no more than 15 lymph nodes. But the tumor is also in the outer layer and also in no more than 15 lymph nodes, the tumor has affected the spleen and liver.
• Stage IV stomach cancer – cancer cells have spread to more than 15 lymph nodes. Cancer can also be diagnosed in other organs that are near the stomach.

Symptoms of stomach cancer stage 1

Stomach cancer stage 1 – the tumor has affected less than six lymph nodes and muscle tissue in the affected organ. The tumor is fully formed. There is a classification of stomach cancer stage 1, the stage has two degrees A and B. Stomach cancer stage 1, symptoms of stage A are characterized by the spread of cancer cells throughout the gastric mucosa. At stage B at the first stage, cancer cells affect up to 6 lymph nodes that affect the muscles of the diseased organ or are located in the area affected by the tumor.

Very often, the symptoms of stage I stomach cancer are confused with peptic ulcer disease. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the symptoms of the disease and, at the slightest change, go for a full examination to the doctor. First of all, pay attention to the process of eating, have your taste preferences changed, do you feel heaviness after eating? All this may well be the result of cell mutation and the beginning of stage I stomach cancer.

Symptoms of stomach cancer stage 2

The second stage of stomach cancer is a strong lesion of the serous layer of the organ wall. During stage 2 cancer, about 15 lymph nodes and absolutely the entire mucous membrane of the stomach are affected.

Stomach cancer stage 2, symptoms and main characteristics:

• The tumor has spread to the entire mucous membrane, which is why vomiting and a burning sensation inside occur after eating. •
• Cancer affects not only the walls of the stomach, but also other organs.
• At the second stage of stomach cancer, there are 2 degrees – A and B.

Gastric cancer stage II, grade A:

• The tumor formed but did not spread beyond the inner layer of the stomach.
• Cancer cells have progressed in more than six lymph nodes.
• The tumor has affected the muscular layer of the stomach.

Gastric cancer stage II, grade B:

• The tumor is limited in spread to the inner layer of gastric tissue and has affected more than 7 lymph nodes.
• The tumor has spread beyond the outer layer of the stomach, but has not yet affected the lymph nodes of other organs.

Stomach cancer stage 3, symptoms

Stomach cancer stage 3, symptoms of the first and second stages are aggravated by sharp pains in the abdomen, which radiate to the back, internal bleeding is also possible. At the third stage of stomach cancer, only some organs and lymph nodes are not affected. The tumor affects nearby organs, metastases go to the spleen, liver and intestines.

Stomach cancer at stage 3 is divided into 3 degrees A, B, C, each of which depends on the nature of the spread of the disease.

Stomach cancer stage 3, grade A:

• The tumor is progressing in the muscular layer of the stomach and has affected at least seven lymph nodes.
• It is possible that the cancer has spread to all layers of the stomach, and cancer cells are progressing in a couple of lymph nodes.

Stomach cancer stage 3, grade B:

• The tumor has grown beyond the outer walls of the stomach and has affected more than seven lymph nodes.
• It is possible that the tumor has penetrated into the tissues surrounding the stomach and cancer cells are in no more than 2-3 lymph nodes.

Stomach cancer stage 3, grade C:

• The tumor has spread beyond the outer wall of the stomach and affected 3 to 6 lymph nodes.
• In addition to the stomach, several other organs are affected.

Stomach cancer stage 4, symptoms

At the fourth stage of stomach cancer, almost the entire lymphatic system of the body is affected. The tumor has captured all organs that are nearby and gradually spreads to the peripheral ones. At this stage of the disease, no more than 15% of patients survive.

Stage 4 stomach cancer is an irreversible and uncontrolled process that provokes the growth of tumor cells into neighboring tissues and organs. Tumor metastases are formed even in neighboring organs and organs that are far from the stomach.

Stomach cancer stage 4, symptoms:

• The tumor affected the bones, brain, liver and pancreas.
• At this stage of the disease, cancerous tumors grow very quickly.
• In addition to stomach cancer, bone cancer can develop.

Treatment of stage IV cancer is almost impossible, but the specialist needs to perform the following tasks:

• Limit and reduce the spread of the tumor.
• Do everything possible to stop the tumor process.
• Avoid all kinds of complications and maintain the functioning and viability of organs and systems.

How to identify stomach cancer?

How to identify stomach cancer if it is very difficult to diagnose this disease in the early stages? The symptoms of stomach cancer are very diverse and completely depend on the shape and size of the tumor, as well as the stage of the disease, the location of the tumor and the background against which the tumor disease appeared. Please note that the signs of the disease practically do not depend on the histological indicators of the tumor. As a rule, with stomach cancer, the symptoms of complications come to the fore, for example, profuse bleeding from a decaying tumor, stenosis of the exit from the stomach or perforation.

Symptoms of stomach cancer can be divided into general and local.

Local symptoms:

• Dull pain in the upper abdomen.
• Belching.
• Vomit.
• Nausea.
• Aversion to certain types of food.
• Decreased appetite.
• Dysgaphia.
• Rapid satiety during meals.
• Stomach discomfort.
• Heaviness in the epigastric region after eating.

The frequency of the above symptoms allows you to determine stomach cancer. The frequency of symptoms depends entirely on the size of the tumor and its location.

General manifestations:

• Rapid fatigue.
• Excessive, unjustified weight loss.
• Excitability.
• Apathy.
• Irritability.
• Unmotivated general weakness.

As a rule, it is these symptoms that allow us to determine stomach cancer, which is an extensive lesion. If the patient exhibits general symptoms, then we are talking about one of the last stages of stomach cancer.

Prognosis for stomach cancer

The prognosis for stomach cancer allows the patient to learn about his chances of recovery. The most favorable prognosis is set at the first stage of cancer, with patient survival up to 90%. At stages 2 and 3 of stomach cancer, the prognosis depends on the number of metastases that are in the lymph nodes. At stage 4 of stomach cancer, the prognosis is the most unfavorable and the possibility of recovery can only be after the tumor is completely removed.

Stomach cancer, symptoms, prognosis completely depend on the stage of the disease, which is manifested in the number of cancerous tumors localized on the gastric mucosa. Among oncological diseases, stomach cancer ranks second, lung cancer ranks first.

Symptoms of stomach cancer appear in patients who are over 50 years old. Early diagnosis of stomach cancer involves annual prevention and screening examination. Do not forget that timely diagnosis of stomach cancer allows you to start treatment on time, this allows you to make the most optimistic prognosis.

Symptoms of stomach cancer allow for timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The survival rate of patients with stomach cancer is no more than 20%. Such a low percentage is the impossibility of treatment due to diagnosis of the disease at a late stage. But do not forget that each case of cancer is individual and depends on the age, health and lifestyle of the patient.