Early symptoms and precursors of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer, as the name suggests, is cancer that occurs in the stomach. Its early symptoms and precursors are not obvious and are easily overlooked. However, some patients will experience symptoms such as upper abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea and constipation, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

1. No obvious symptoms or signs

For most gastric cancer patients, early symptoms and precursors are often not obvious and are easily ignored or misdiagnosed as other digestive system diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc.

2. Symptoms and Premonitions

1. Upper abdominal discomfort: This is one of the common early symptoms of gastric cancer. Patients may feel slight discomfort or dull pain in the upper abdomen. This pain is often not obvious and is easily ignored.

2. Loss of appetite: Patients may experience unexplained loss of appetite, loss of interest in food, or even anorexia.

3. Nausea and vomiting: Patients with gastric cancer may experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which may be due to gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by the tumor.

4. Weight loss: Due to loss of appetite and tumor consumption, patients may experience significant weight loss in a short period of time.

5. Diarrhea and constipation: Some patients may experience symptoms of diarrhea or constipation, which may be due to the tumor affecting gastrointestinal function.

5. Gastrointestinal bleeding: Patients with early gastric cancer may experience a small amount of gastrointestinal bleeding, which can usually only be detected through electronic gastroscopy or fecal occult blood test. When the amount of bleeding is large, the patient may experience symptoms of vomiting blood or black stools.

Note: For people with stomach discomfort, especially those over 40 years old, with a family history of gastric cancer or a history of Helicobacter pylori infection, it is recommended to undergo regular gastroscopy to screen for gastric cancer. Once early symptoms or precursors of gastric cancer are found, you should seek medical attention for diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner, and the disease should not be delayed. You should pay more attention to rest and avoid overwork. Keep a light and nutritious diet and avoid spicy and irritating foods.