11 Common Early Signs Of Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer awareness month takes place in November every year. Most of them will be surprised to hear that it was one of the most prevalent cancers in past years but cases have come down in recent decades because of better food hygiene habits and people are maintaining a healthy food diet. There are several types of stomach cancer and most common among them are adenocarcinomas.More than 95% of stomach cancers develop in the cells of the stomach lining.Let's quickly view the early signs of stomach cancer to reduce the risk of spreading to the different organs surrounding the stomach.
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What Do You Know About Stomach Cancer And How To Detect Stomach Cancer Early?
The stomach is an important part of the digestive system which digests the food and moves the nutrients to the gut, and it reaches the small intestine. Stomach cancer is caused when the healthy cells are replaced by the cancer growing cells within the stomach lining. Stomach cancer is not a one-day process. It takes several years to develop and it grows slowly on the healthy cells and these cancer cells are collectively known as tumors. When it reaches this stage, it starts to spread to the different layers of the stomach.
11 Early Stomach Cancer Signs
Let’s keep reading about the 11 early stomach cancer signs which include,
How to detect stomach cancer early?
1. Appetite Changes:
This is one of the early signs that individuals will experience in case of stomach cancer. Persons will feel hungry, but they cannot be able to eat after a few bites, because they will feel fullness in the stomach while starting itself. This is caused when the healthy cells in the stomach are replaced by the cancer cells. It usually interferes with the normal intake of food and causes trouble while swallowing and always feels fullness in the stomach. The cancer acells or tumor which is growing inside the belly will obstruct food and prevent it from passing to the small intestine. If you notice these kinds of changes, then you should not ignore them.stomach cancer early symptoms should be treated as early as possible.
2. Nausea:
Nausea is the early warning sign of stomach cancer. People with stomach cancer will feel the fullness of their stomach even when they are not eating. They usually feel like regurgitating any kind of food soon after they start to eat. This is one important sign to note for stomach cancer. They feel gag reflex frequently with throwing up small chunks of food within a few minutes after eating. This is caused due to cancer or tumor cells obstructing the passage of food. You have to take necessary actions when you note this symptom frequently because it can cause severe complications and lead to irregular metabolism.
3. Vomiting with or without blood:
This kind of symptom is an early warning sign of stomach cancer. Vomiting is caused when a person feels difficulty while swallowing. This is caused due to the obstruction in the passage of food. Constant vomiting will lead to damage of the esophagus and lead to irregular metabolism. Individuals will get tired and dehydrated due to continuous vomiting, which thereby causes unusual weight loss. The risk factors of stomach cancer include vomiting with blood and having black stools if untreated cancer cells can spread to the different parts of the body which is known as metastatic stomach cancer.
4. Development of swelling in the abdomen:
Early signs of stomach cancer show swelling of the tummy or abdomen. It is caused due to the accumulation of fluids and it is associated with stomach pain. Patients will feel dull stomach pain in the middle of the stomach. It's an alarming sign that should be treated soon. They can also feel the hardness in the lump while gently pressing the abdomen. Any lumps or swelling which is hard on palpation should be reported to the doctor immediately. It's an early sign of stomach cancer and it should be removed for bariatric and gastric bypass surgery.
5. Heartburn:
Most of us will experience this symptom when we have indigestion or gastric problems. Heartburn and indigestion are common symptoms caused by an unhappy gut. It can be associated with early alarming signs of stomach cancer. If this symptom persists for a longer period of time beyond 2 to 3 months and returns back more frequently after every meal, then it's a sign of danger. It can be an early sign of stomach cancer and should be checked immediately.
6. Indigestion:
Indigestion is a common issue faced by patients with stomach cancer. Cancer cells which usually begin with the inner lining of the stomach. They begin to grow deeper layers of the stomach as the cancer cells replace the healthy cells. Indigestion in cancer causes food intolerance and food sensitivity so they can feel indigestion soon after the meal and some of them are even sensitive to food on which they are having regularly.
7. Abdominal discomfort:
When abdominal discomfort prolongs for a longer duration of time then one must visit a doctor as it is the early warning sign for stomach cancer. Patients usually feel discomfort in the abdomen in the middle portion of the stomach soon after having a meal. They can feel tightness in the stomach and bloating. An abdominal mass is found during physical examination, and tightness is felt on pressing the abdominal portion. Treating earlier can reduce the seriousness of this condition.
8. Unusual weight loss:
Individuals usually experience weight loss because of their poor eating habits. Due to the difficulties in swallowing, gag reflex, regurgitation, and indigestion they cannot eat more. They cannot have normal food because they feel fullness of the stomach soon after having a small quantity of food. They become sensitive to the food which they are having regularly. So proper nutrients and symptoms like vomiting and indigestion leads to dehydration and loss of several nutrients in the body. Individuals usually become weak and tired and have unusual weight loss. This condition should be treated as soon as possible to avoid the severity of the condition.
9. Sickness:
Sickness is usually caused when the body loses its stability to the particular disease or disorders. In case of stomach cancers, sickness is caused due to the malignancy of cancer cells which is slowly growing over the healthy cells. These cancer cells are collectively known as tumour cells which interfere in the regular metabolism of the stomach, thereby causing indigestion, difficulty in swallowing, and feeling abdominal pain. If it prolongs for a longer duration of time even after medication, it could be an early sign of stomach cancer.
10. Vague discomfort:
Vague discomfort is seen in stomach cancer and it is the warning sign for cancer. Vague discomfort usually occurs in the abdomen above the navel portion. It is usually caused soon after taking a meal. Patients usually eat only small quantities of food and feel fullness and discomfort after having a meal. Vague discomfort is followed by heartburn, indigestion, Nausea and vomiting in case of stomach cancer. It's better to treat this condition as soon as possible.
11. Anaemia:
Patients with stomach cancer usually suffer from anemia because of the poor and improper diet. Among all types of anaemia, pernicious anaemia remains the risk factor for primary gastric ulcer. This condition is considered as autoimmune destruction of the gastric body and parietal cells. It plays a major role in gastric cancer and it is treated by chemotherapy in severe cases. It’s the warning for early detection of cancer and it should be prioritized and checked immediately. stomach cancer early symptoms should be noted as soon as possible.
Conclusion
In this month of November which is known as stomach cancer awareness month, the ultimate goal is to make people understand about the seriousness of stomach cancer and to enhance knowledge about early detection of stomach cancer for the betterment of life. By diagnosing earlier, we can save most of the people’s life and reduce the mortality rate that occurs every year due to stomach cancer. However, preventive measures like eating healthy food, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and avoiding fast foods decrease the risk factors of developing stomach cancer.
