Introduction: After clinical treatment, gastric cancer patients have to prevent recurrence and metastasis during the recovery process, how can recurrence be detected early? What are the signals of recurrence and metastasis? What are the items for regular review after discharge from hospital?
The time of recurrence of gastric cancer after surgery cannot be completely determined. If early stage, surgery is performed, generally the five-year survival rate is still relatively long, while surgery at late stage also needs to depend on whether there is the appearance of metastasis subsequently.
After being diagnosed as gastric cancer, after clinical treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, Chinese medicine), the tumor on the body seems to disappear all of a sudden and cannot be seen by gastroscopy or detected by CT or MRI, but in fact, it only eliminates the cancerous tissue blocks that can be seen by naked eyes, at this time, there are still some microscopic and invisible cancer cells remaining in the body, and these cancer cells may be latent, and once the time is suitable for growth, they may sprout again. These cancer cells may be latent and once the time is right, they may sprout again, which is the root of recurrence and metastasis.
This is the root of recurrence and metastasis. For every stomach cancer patient, there is such a hidden danger. However, it is true that some patients have been cured and never recurred after comprehensive rehabilitation measures during the consolidation period, while some others have recurred, and the reasons for recurrence have been stated earlier.
Of course, recurrence and metastasis are not incurable, and there are many effective treatments, but the key is to detect recurrence early and avoid metastasis; early detection and early treatment, there is still a possibility of cure, and the sky does not stop, and there is always a way out. How can recurrence be detected? What are the signals of recurrence and metastasis? According to our experience, they are outlined as follows, please refer to them.
Signs of recurrence and metastasis of gastric cancer
1.Sudden appearance of symptoms of old stomach disease, pain, discomfort, fullness, belching, not thinking about eating and drinking, etc. in the upper abdomen, which lasts for a period of time, should suspect the recurrence of stump gastric cancer and suggest immediate gastroscopy to exclude cancer recurrence.
2.Suddenly, there is irritating dry cough without sputum, no other symptoms of cold, no improvement by taking anti-cold medicine, and no effect by taking cough medicine, then attention should be paid to whether there is lung metastasis, and chest X-ray should be taken to exclude it.
3.Suddenly, one day, an enlarged lymph node of unknown nature appears in the left supraclavicular fossa, because the first stop of distant lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer is often found here, so we should promptly ask the doctor to rule out whether it is a recurrence of gastric cancer.
4. If black stools, like tar-like stools, appear for several days in a row for unknown reasons, which cannot be explained by consuming animal blood, etc., it is necessary to go to hospital for examination to exclude upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Sometimes the recurrence of gastric cancer may be a symptom of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
5.For a period of time, if you suddenly feel a significant decrease in physical strength and your body is getting thinner and thinner, and there is no explanation of chronic fever, it is often a manifestation of recurrence, so you should consult a doctor and conduct necessary examination in time.
6, the emergence of chronic low fever, the daily temperature is 38 degrees up and down, not high fever, according to the cold treatment is ineffective, the examination also did not find signs of respiratory infection, at this time should also exclude the possibility of relapse, timely do the necessary examination, such as gastroscopy, abdominal CT, etc..
7. Recently, the abdomen has been gradually enlarging, the abdomen often feels distended, the walking feels fluctuating, and the physical strength is obviously not as good as before, which is a symptom of ascites, a symptom of cancer spreading to the abdominal cavity.
Regular review helps to prevent recurrence and metastasis
Regular review is to detect asymptomatic recurrence and metastasis in time, so as to obtain the time for effective treatment. Recurrence is not terrible, but too late detection and systemic metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to review regularly.
What are the items for regular review after discharge from hospital?
1. CT: 1 month after surgery, review CT at the beginning of chemotherapy, and again at the end of chemotherapy, and review CT 6 months after chemotherapy. CT is preferred at the time of discharge to understand the situation of surrounding lymph nodes. CT is repeated every six months within the first year after discharge.
2. Gastroscopy: Gastroscopy is recommended every six months in the first year after discharge, and is repeated every one year within 1-3 years; gastroscopy can detect the surgical stumps in time.
3. Blood examination: CEA, blood routine; CEA is a non-specific cancer marker of gastric cancer, which can partially reflect the recurrence of gastric cancer; anemia is a concomitant symptom of gastric cancer, which should be detected and treated in time. Therefore, we suggest to recheck once every six months for the first 2 years after discharge.
4. Fecal occult blood test: Stomach cancer often has a small amount of bleeding, thus the fecal occult blood is positive, we suggest to recheck once every six months for the first two years after discharge.