I. Early gastric cancer
With the development of the disease, the function and circumstance of stomach gradually change, these symptoms are often non-specific, may appear from time to time, and may exist for a long time. Such as epigastric distension, dull pain, vague pain, nausea, loss of appetite, belching and lethargy, etc.; a few ulcerated types (type IIc and III) of early gastric cancer may also have ulcer-like symptoms with rhythmic pain and acid reflux, which can be relieved by medical treatment, etc. In some patients, gastric cancer coexists with or occurs on the basis of certain benign lesions (such as chronic atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer, etc.), and the symptoms of these benign gastric diseases have existed for a long time or recurrently, which makes patients and doctors relax their alertness to gastric cancer and delay the diagnosis. Some early gastric cancers may also present with symptoms such as vomiting blood, black stool, or difficulty in swallowing.
1. Upper abdominal discomfort
It is the most common initial symptom of gastric cancer, about 80% of patients have this symptom, similar to indigestion. If abdominal pain occurs, it is usually mild and irregular at the beginning, but cannot be relieved after eating, and gradually worsens. Some of them can have rhythmic pain, especially sinus gastric cancer, which is more obvious and can even be relieved by eating or taking medicine. Elderly people have dull pain sensation and mostly complain of abdominal distension. These symptoms are often not taken seriously by patients, and are easily mistaken for gastritis or ulcer disease when they seek medical attention. Therefore, middle-aged patients should be given further examination to avoid missing the diagnosis if they have the following conditions: A. No previous history of gastric disease, but recent unexplained epigastric discomfort or pain that has been ineffective after treatment; B. A previous history of gastric ulcer and recent change in the regularity of epigastric pain with increasing severity. If the symptoms are relieved, but there is another episode within a short period of time, the possibility of gastric cancer should also be considered and further examination should be conducted in time.
2. Loss of appetite or loss of appetite
Nearly 50% of gastric cancer patients have obvious symptoms of loss of appetite or loss of appetite, and some of them restrict eating on their own because too much food will cause abdominal distension or pain. Unexplained anorexia and weight loss are probably the initial symptoms of early gastric cancer, which need to be taken seriously. Most patients only have deep pressure pain in the upper abdomen in addition to weak general condition.
II. Progressive gastric cancer
Therefore, there is no obvious boundary between early stage, progressive stage and even late stage, not only that, there is often a great crossover of symptoms between stages, some patients have already reached the progressive stage, but the symptoms are not obvious, some patients have more prominent symptoms even though they are in the early stage, and some patients are diagnosed with the symptoms of organ metastasis or comorbidity. Some patients present with symptoms of organ metastasis or comorbidities. According to the domestic statistics, the common symptoms of progressive gastric cancer are as follows
1. Abdominal pain
When gastric cancer develops and expands, especially when the infiltration penetrates the plasma membrane and invades the pancreas or the transverse colon mesentery, continuous severe pain may appear and radiates to the lower back. Very few patients with perforated cancer ulcers may also have severe abdominal pain and signs of peritoneal irritation.
2. Loss of appetite and emaciation
The absorption of toxin from cancer can make the patient appear wasting, weakness, anemia and malnutrition, which are often progressively aggravated and finally manifested as cachexia.
3. Nausea and vomiting
It is also one of the more common symptoms and can occur in early stage. Gastric sinus cancer may also show symptoms of pyloric obstruction.
4. Vomiting blood and black stool
When ulcers are formed on the surface of the cancer, vomiting blood and black stool will appear. 1/3 of gastric cancer patients often have small amount of bleeding, mostly manifested as positive fecal occult blood, and some of them may have intermittent black stool, but some of them may visit the doctor with large amount of vomiting blood.
5. Diarrhea
It may be related to low gastric acid, and the stool may be paste-like or even have five-shift diarrhea. When advanced gastric cancer involves the colon, it often causes diarrhea and bloody stools.
6. Difficulty in swallowing
When cancer grows up, obstruction symptoms may appear. Cancer of cardia or fundus may cause dysphagia, while cancer of gastric sinus may cause pyloric obstruction.
What are the causes of gastric cancer?
1.Some benign gastric diseases: gastric ulcer, chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric polyp, residual gastric after partial resection, intestinal epithelial hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia of gastric mucosa, all these benign gastric lesions are easily transformed into gastric cancer, and Helicobacter pylori infection may also promote the occurrence of gastric cancer.
Gender factor: Men are more prone to this disease than women, mainly due to factors such as long-term alcohol consumption, irregular eating and frequent late nights and all-nighters.
Genetic factors: Those with family history of gastric cancer are four times more likely to develop gastric cancer than others, which means that genetic factors play a role in the occurrence of gastric cancer.
4.Dietary factors: Frequent consumption of smoked and baked food (containing benzopyrene) or pickled food, sauerkraut containing N-nitroso compounds, moldy food and high salt diet may promote the occurrence of stomach cancer, while milk, animal protein, fresh vegetables and some fruits have the effect of preventing stomach cancer.