Gastric cancer is one of the common causes of death. There is no effective way to detect this cancer early, but paying attention to the condition of the body can help you recognize it. Early diagnosis will greatly help the cancer healing process, but unfortunately many people do not realize the symptoms in the body until the cancer spreads. Recognize the symptoms of cancer, then seek medical help if you think you may have this deadly disease.
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Method 1 of 3: Recognizing the Early Symptoms of Cancer
Step 1. Identify the main symptoms of cancer that occurs in the abdominal area
Your stomach is part of the upper digestive system, and it functions to process nutrients from the food you eat. After leaving the stomach, the food enters the small intestine, then into the large intestine. The main symptoms of gastric cancer are divided into two, namely those that directly affect the abdomen, and symptoms that are more general.
- Abdominal symptoms that appear early in the development of cancer include heartburn and difficulty digesting food. Heartburn, which is a burning feeling in the chest and upper abdomen, occurs because stomach acid returns to the esophagus.
- Tumors in the stomach will generally make it difficult for the body to digest food, which will cause belching or other digestive problems.
- Heartburn or digestive problems are not always a symptom of cancer. However, if these symptoms recur frequently, contact your doctor.
Step 2. Watch out for bloating
Stomach cancer can make your abdomen swell, so you often feel full. You may feel good after eating, even though the portion of food consumed is only small. This feeling of bloating could be an early symptom of stomach cancer.
- Pain in the stomach or chest bone can be caused by stomach cancer.
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If you often feel bloated and full easily, and feel other early symptoms of stomach cancer, call your doctor.
Recognize Stomach Cancer Step 4
Step 3. Notice if you have difficulty swallowing
These symptoms may be caused by a tumor at the junction between the esophagus and stomach, which causes obstruction of food. This condition is also known as dysphagia.
Step 4. Call your doctor if you have persistent nausea
In some cases, tumors can grow at the junction between the stomach and intestines, preventing food from moving. The most common symptom of these tumors is prolonged nausea, or even vomiting.
In some rare cases, you may experience vomiting blood. If you vomit blood, call your doctor immediately
Step 5. Know other common cancer symptoms
You may experience general symptoms that are not directly related to the stomach, but can be a sign that the cancer is growing aggressively or progressively. Check your spleen because swelling of the spleen is a symptom of various diseases. In the case of gastric cancer, cancer cells will move from the stomach (or other tumor site) through the spleen, to the left spleen cells. This displacement will cause swelling.
- Watch out for symptoms of cachexia, which is a reduction in muscle mass. Cancer cells will increase the metabolic rate, which in turn will lose muscle mass.
- Loss of blood cells due to cancer can cause anemia. After developing anemia, you may feel weak or pale.
- People with cancer may feel tired, lethargic, or have trouble maintaining consciousness.
Method 2 of 3: Recognizing Symptoms of Advanced Cancer
Step 1. Watch for pain or discomfort in the abdomen
As the cancer spreads and the tumor grows, the pain will become more frequent over time, and will not go away even with treatment.
Tumors in the stomach can press on organ structures, while colon cancer can damage the membranes in the stomach. Both diseases can cause pain in the stomach
Step 2. Watch your appetite
Cancer cells will secrete substances that eliminate hunger. In addition, tumors in the stomach that make you feel full will make your appetite drop drastically. Hence, as the cancer progresses, the patient may experience weight loss. If you lose your appetite and experience weight loss for no reason, record the weight loss and call your doctor.
Step 3. Check for swelling or lumps in the abdomen
Over time, fluid will build up in the abdomen, so you will find swelling or lumps. In the case of gastric cancer, the patient may find a hard lump in the abdomen that moves with breathing, and may advance when the patient moves.
Cancer that has developed can cause swelling in the upper left corner of the abdomen, around the abdomen
Step 4. Look for signs of cancer in stools and changes in toilet habits
As the stage of gastric cancer gets higher, the cancer may cause chronic bleeding, which is passed through the stool. The blood will cause the stool to be red or black. Examine your stool after using the toilet, and see if it is very dark or black like asphalt.
- Constipation or diarrhea can be symptoms of stomach cancer.
- Be honest with your doctor when discussing the symptoms of cancer in stool.
Method 3 of 3: Knowing the Risk Factors
Step 1. Pay attention to your age, gender and ethnicity
Some of the factors that cause cancer are related to your lifestyle, but there are other factors that you can't change. The risk of stomach cancer increases greatly after the age of 50, and most people with gastric cancer are aged 60-80 when diagnosed. Stomach cancer is also more common in men than women.
- In the US, gastric cancer is more common in Hispanic Americans, African-Americans, and Asian/Pacific, than in non-Hispanic white Americans.
- Residents of Japan, China, Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as South and Central America are more at risk of developing stomach cancer.
Step 2. Pay attention to your lifestyle
Lifestyle and diet will greatly affect your risk of stomach cancer. Drinking alcohol and smoking will increase the risk of cancer, through the entry of harmful substances into the body. Low-fiber diets increase the risk of stomach cancer, because the body will be exposed to carcinogenic substances in food longer. Long-term consumption of dry, salty and smoked foods with high nitrate content also increases the risk of cancer.
- Being overweight or obese may also cause cancer of the cardia (upper part of the stomach).
- If you work in the rubber, coal, or metals industry, you may be more at risk for stomach cancer because workers in those industries are exposed to more carcinogens.
Step 3. Know your medical history and family
Keep a personal medical history, and pay attention to old illnesses that may trigger stomach cancer. Be careful if you have had helicobacter pylori infection, acute gastritis, atrophic gastritis, severe anemia, or gastric polyps. All of these diseases increase your risk of stomach cancer.
- The risk of stomach cancer will increase in patients who have had surgery to remove part of the stomach.
- Stomach cancer is a hereditary disease. Therefore, also pay attention to your family health history. However, by changing your lifestyle (such as following a healthy diet), your risk of developing stomach cancer will decrease.
- If your immediate family has been diagnosed with gastric cancer, your risk of developing cancer will be higher than people with a family history of gastric cancer.
Step 4. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your cancer risk
Your doctor can help you identify your risks, and suggest lifestyle changes to lower your risk of developing cancer in the future. Early diagnosis of cancer will help the healing process, so contact your doctor as soon as possible if you are concerned.
Tips
- Seek medical help as soon as possible after you develop symptoms of cancer. The sooner you get a diagnosis and treatment, the better.
- To help prevent stomach cancer, build a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C. Avoid or reduce foods that are fried, smoked, preserved, or high in nitric acid. In addition, make it a habit to eat hygienically, and preserve/refrigerate food safely.
