Warning signs you may have stomach cancer need early examination

Stomach cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. According to data from Globocan 2020, stomach cancer ranks fourth among common cancers in Vietnam with 17,906 new cases, accounting for 9.8% of all cancer cases. It is also the third leading cause of cancer death, with 14,615 deaths, equivalent to 11.9% of all cancer deaths.

Dr. Pham Gia Anh, Head of the Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, stomach cancer often develops silently, without obvious symptoms in the early stages, so when detected it is often at a late stage. Diagnosing stomach cancer at an early stage is very important to increase the chance of curing the disease.

Many causes can lead to stomach cancer. One of them is Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection. HP bacteria cause chronic atrophy of the stomach lining and lead to precancerous lesions, increasing the risk of developing stomach cancer.

Precancerous lesions such as atrophic gastritis and gastric mucosal dysplasia are also causes for concern. If not monitored and treated promptly, these lesions can progress to gastric cancer.

In addition, unhealthy lifestyle habits such as eating foods containing nitrates (salted fish, pickled vegetables, bacon, grilled meat), smoking and genetic factors also play an important role in increasing the risk of stomach cancer. Other risk factors include obesity, anastomotic inflammation after gastrectomy and exposure to toxic substances such as nitrogen gas, radiation, dust.

Symptoms to watch out for

Dr. Pham Gia Anh said that in the early stages, stomach cancer often has no obvious symptoms or vague symptoms that are easily overlooked. Therefore, regular health check-ups and stomach cancer screening are the best ways to detect the disease early. As the disease progresses, patients may experience the following symptoms:

Fullness, indigestion:Feeling of fullness, indigestion with frequent belching and heartburn.

Stomach-ache:Dull pain in the epigastric region is a common symptom of stomach cancer. Initially, the pain may decrease after eating, but then it becomes persistent and unrelenting.

Unexplained weight loss:Sudden weight loss without any specific reason is a worrying sign.

Nausea and vomiting:Nausea accompanied by loss of appetite, bloating, belching, heartburn. In the late stages, the tumor can cause pyloric stenosis, leading to vomiting of old food with an unpleasant odor.

Vomiting blood or passing black stools:Stomach cancer can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to vomiting blood or passing black stools. If the bleeding is severe, the patient may vomit blood clots or pass red stools, which are dangerous signs that require emergency intervention.

choking: When the tumor is near the cardia or the junction between the cardia and the esophagus, the patient may feel difficulty swallowing.

The key to beating stomach cancer lies in early detection, the doctor stressed. Regular checkups and paying attention to unusual symptoms can save many lives.