What are the early signs of gastric ulcer canceration

Complications of gastric ulcer include gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation, obstruction and cancer. The first three have obvious clinical symptoms and are easy to diagnose, but malignant transformation usually occurs without any feeling, so it should be taken seriously.

It is generally believed that the probability of gastric ulcer becoming cancerous is about 1%. Most patients with cancer have a long history of gastric ulcer. Repeated destruction of epithelial cells at the edge of the ulcer and mucosal regeneration, metaplasia, and atypical hyperplasia eventually lead to cancer. However, there are early signs of cancer, which are as follows:

1. For patients with gastric ulcer aged 45 or above, if their typical ulcer symptoms suddenly become irregular and are replaced by persistent irregular abdominal pain, or if the drug that was previously effective suddenly becomes ineffective, they should be alert to gastric cancer.

2. The patient's general condition deteriorates in a short period of time, with significant weight loss, rapid weight loss, anemia, and persistent vomiting that is unresponsive to treatment.

3. The patient's stool becomes darker in color, and stool examination shows positive occult blood, which lasts for a long time (1 to 2 months or longer).

4. The patient experiences obvious fatigue, exhaustion, loss of appetite, or indigestion-related diarrhea, especially diarrhea that worsens after eating meat.

5. If the patient feels a mass in the abdomen or swollen lymph nodes above the left clavicle, it means that the cancer has entered the late stage.