The Symptoms of Stomach Cancer
Patients with stomach cancer do not usually present any symptoms in the early stages of the disease, if anything, some discomfort in the upper abdomen. Then, as the tumor progresses, they may worsen these may feel discomfort and slow digestion, pain free, anorexia (loss of appetite), weight loss and halitosis (bad breath).
The tumor may cause various complications, which give rise to different symptoms.
Tumors that originate in the last portion of the stomach may obstruct their exit causing vomiting and abdominal pain after meals, making the food. Sometimes tumors may bleed, little by little, with what appears anemia and black debris in the stool (called melena) or abruptly, with severe bleeding that causes vomiting of blood.
Some tips
# Cancer and Chemotherapy
# Cancer and Radiotherapy
# Revisions after cancer
You can also perforate the stomach by the tumor, which leads to peritonitis with severe abdominal pain, increased temperature and worsening of general condition.
In more advanced cases, other symptoms appear due to the nature of tumor. You can get to feel a mass in the upper abdomen. If there are liver metastases and jaundice may occur in the case of peritoneal carcinomatosis appear maldigestion, constipation and episodes of intestinal obstruction. Accompanying all this, of course, is often emphasize weight loss and progressive deterioration of general condition.
How is stomach cancer diagnosed?
Apart from data collection in the history of the patient and the physician’s examination, the ultimate test for the diagnosis of stomach cancer is the oral endoscopy or gastroscopy. In this test a tube with a light and a video camera through the mouth into the stomach and be able to see inside. In addition you can take biopsy specimens is definitive evidence that confirms the diagnosis and to study other non-malignant lesions. For this test does not require any preparation except for a few hours of fasting and in some schools are given a sedative and a topical anesthetic in the mouth to lessen the discomfort.
Early detection
Early detection of cancer is the key. Read about it here. In general: early detection of cancer.
The barium meal is used for the radiological study of the stomach in the case of patients have reported gastric symptoms, it is less uncomfortable than endoscopy. In most cases identify the tumor and allowed surgeons to check the location before surgery. However, biopsies can be taken and the results are less reliable than endoscopy.
To study the extension that is able to reach the tumor or scanners can perform scans and in some centers, where available, ultrasound via an endoscope (EUS) or laparoscopy according to the protocols of treatment with gastric cancer. In laparoscopy, performed with local or general anesthesia, according to the Centers, a camera is inserted through the navel into the abdomen to see if there is peritoneal carcinomatosis, plus an ultrasound can be used to expand the data.
All these tests are performed to avoid operating on patients who then will not be able to do anything (eg if they have an important peritoneal carcinomatosis), but are procedures or provide little information or very aggressive, and unless there is a suspicion of advanced disease not typically perform.