Detecting late stage cancer from signs of loss of appetite

Signs of cancer that are easy to ignore

Mr. THT (41 years old, director of a company in Ho Chi Minh City) went to Hanoi to cross-check for cancer. Before that, Mr. T. still went for annual health check-ups but did not have a gastroscopy because he did not have symptoms of heartburn or stomach pain.

Two months ago, Mr. T. lost weight and had a poor appetite, but he was busy with work so he did not go to the doctor and thought the cause was stress and pressure. When he had dry heaves and vomited a lot after eating, he went to a private clinic, where the doctor said the male patient had a digestive disorder. His condition worsened, so he went to a large hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for examination, and the results revealed stomach cancer.

When he went to Hanoi, Mr. T. wanted to cross-check in the hope of a misdiagnosis or an earlier stage of the disease. At Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), the doctor diagnosed the male patient with late-stage stomach cancer.

According to the Digestive and Hepatobiliary Center (Bach Mai Hospital), the number of young people with stomach cancer like patient T. is on the rise. Many people are hospitalized when they have complications of the disease such as bleeding, stomach perforation, pyloric stenosis, peritonitis or metastatic cancer cells with symptoms such as paralysis (due to spinal metastasis or brain metastasis), difficulty breathing (lung metastasis).

Dr. Hoang Van Chuong, Center for Digestion and Hepatobiliary, said that stomach cancer is a dangerous disease, especially for people under 40 years old. They often detect the disease at a late stage, when it has metastasized, so the prognosis is very poor. Notably, 95% of stomach cancer cases at the age of 30 are infected with Helicobacter pylori (HP) bacteria.

Factors that cause the disease include smoking and unscientific eating habits. Research shows that 20% of people with stomach cancer are related to smoking habits. People who like to eat processed foods such as sausages, canned foods, and fermented foods also increase the risk of the disease. In addition, 42% of young patients with stomach cancer have mutations in the CDH1 gene.

4 typical signs

Precancerous stages may not show symptoms. As the tumor grows, symptoms will start from unusual pain leading to loss of appetite. Symptoms to remember:

1. Anorexia of unknown cause

Having stomach cancer will greatly affect your appetite. Therefore, if you suddenly cannot eat, do not want to eat or are bored when it comes to eating accompanied by significant weight loss, you need to be screened immediately.

2. Abdominal pain

This is one of the most typical symptoms of the disease but is easily confused with common stomach pain.

3. Black stools

When you have black stools but you do not eat dark colored foods, it could be a warning sign of stomach bleeding.

4. Nausea, acid reflux

One of the important signs of stomach cancer is nausea and a feeling of reflux.

If the above signs appear, the patient should go to a medical facility for examination. Screening for stomach cancer is very simple today. The doctor will prescribe an endoscopy, with modern equipment, doctors can assess whether the lesion is suspected to be benign or malignant.

The best way to prevent cancer is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, and avoid foods or environments that are at risk of causing cancer. Everyone should make it a habit to have regular medical check-ups. People over 40 years old are recommended to have a gastric endoscopy for screening.