Why you should not underestimate stomach cancer?
Don’t underestimate stomach cancer, it is one of the most common malignant tumors and the number two cancer killer in the world. Among malignant tumors in China, gastric cancer is the first cause of death, commonly known as “cancer boss”.
The age of 50-60 is the peak of gastric cancer incidence, but recent survey found that the incidence of gastric cancer among young people aged 19-35 has increased significantly, and gastric cancer patients under 35 years old have accounted for 6%-11% of the total number of gastric cancer patients. Some people have roughly calculated that 9,000 to 10,000 young people are killed by this “cancer boss” in China every year!
Why is stomach cancer not easily detected at an early stage?
About 80% of gastric cancer patients do not have any symptoms in early stage, and the remaining 20% of patients have similar discomfort as gastritis or ulcer disease, so it is easy to be ignored. Therefore, when there are obvious symptoms and then diagnosed as gastric cancer, it has often reached the stage of progressive gastric cancer.
Related Knowledge
Cancer cells invading to the mucosal layer and submucosal layer of the stomach wall is early stage cancer. If the cancer cells invade the muscle layer and plasma layer of the stomach wall, it is the progressive stage cancer. Most of the cancers in this stage have metastasized and the 5-year survival rate is low.
What are the signs of stomach cancer that need special attention?
Because it is difficult to detect stomach cancer at an early stage, we should pay special attention to the signals that may be the occurrence of stomach cancer and go to hospital for examination in time once they appear.
Epigastric distention and pain is the most common sign of stomach cancer, which appears early and most stomach cancer patients have this sign. These manifestations are often treated as gastritis or gastric ulcer. Although the symptoms can be temporarily relieved after treatment, with the development of the disease, epigastric distension and pain will worsen, and the number of episodes will increase and last longer.
Positive fecal occult blood test, or black stool or vomiting of blood. This sign may appear late or early. Some patients can bleed in the early stage of gastric cancer, while some patients have already reached the progressive stage of gastric cancer once this signal appears. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly patients who did not have stomach problems in the past should go to hospital for examination as soon as black stool appears.
Loss of appetite, emaciation and weakness, etc. This is a common manifestation of stomach cancer, and sometimes it is also the first alarm signal of stomach cancer. If upper abdominal distension and pain also appear, it is more important to suspect the possibility of stomach cancer.
Why young people should be more alert to the occurrence of stomach cancer?
Young people often have no signs of stomach cancer because they are physically fit and tolerant, so one in four young stomach cancer patients are missed or misdiagnosed. Therefore, one out of four young patients with gastric cancer are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and when young people get gastric cancer, it is already at an advanced stage, and the malignancy of gastric cancer in young people is often higher, so young people should be extra vigilant.
If young people have long-term stomach discomfort and poor treatment effect, they should go to hospital for corresponding examination as soon as possible to be alert to the occurrence of stomach cancer.
What tests are needed to diagnose gastric cancer?
Gastroscopy can detect early gastric cancer and identify benign ulcers and malignant ulcers.
Barium meal appositional imaging is one of the important methods to diagnose gastric cancer, especially early gastric cancer.
Taking gastric mucosal lesions for pathological examination during gastroscopy is one of the most important evidences to confirm the diagnosis of gastric cancer. The accuracy rate of gastroscopy combined with pathological examination can reach 97.4%.
Do I have to receive surgery in time if I have stomach cancer?
If patients with gastric cancer do not undergo surgery in time after symptoms appear, more than 90% of them will die within one year. If patients receive surgery in time, the 5-year survival rate of early-stage gastric cancer patients can be over 95%; but the 5-year survival rate of patients with progressive gastric cancer is only 20% after surgery.
Surgical treatment can be used not only for patients with initial gastric cancer, but also for patients with recurrence of gastric cancer, who can receive surgery again to remove all the remaining stomach.
Of course, in addition to surgery, patients should also receive comprehensive treatment according to the arrangement of doctors. However, radiotherapy is not ideal for the treatment of gastric cancer.
Related Knowledge
Some gastric cancers with less malignant degree and smaller lesions can be partially removed by doctors under gastroscopy. This surgical method does not require opening the abdomen and is especially suitable for old and weak patients and patients who are not suitable for open surgery.
How to minimize the possibility of getting stomach cancer?
1. Pay attention to diet
Don’t eat too salty, too hot, too coarse and hard food for a long time, less pickled vegetables, less pickled or smoked meat and fish; don’t overeat; eat more fresh vegetables.
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.
Advocate non-smoking and quit smoking.
2, active treatment of gastric disease
To actively treat chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps and other chronic gastric diseases, these gastric diseases are easily transformed into gastric cancer, which is a precancerous disease of gastric cancer. Most of these gastric diseases are related to H. pylori infection, so H. pylori infection should also be actively treated.