1 Medical indications

Symptoms of stomach and intestinal cancer occur in men, but sometimes they can develop in women. In children, this disease is rare. There are different forms of manifestation of the disease. This depends on the location of the tumor and its histological composition. There are 3 main factors on which the first signs of stomach cancer depend:

1. An oncological tumor is localized in the lower part of the stomach( in the antral part) - in this position of the tumor the most pronounced symptoms are nausea and vomiting, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, a nasty and rotten smell from the mouth and vomit.
2. If the oncological tumor is in the part of the stomach that fuses with the esophagus( cardiac part), the patient has problems with the passage of coarse food through the digestive tract. Hypersalivation can develop. As the size of the tumor increases, the intensity of symptoms increases. They are added pains with stomach cancer, nausea and vomiting, a feeling of heaviness at the chest level, in the heart area or between the shoulder blades.
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3. Tumor affects the middle part of the stomach( "body").In the early stages of specific symptoms are not observed. There are general symptoms of oncological diseases: there is no appetite, weight, general weakness, anemia decreases.

If the initial symptoms of a tumor appear, the doctor performs additional tests.

2 Symptoms of the ailment

In addition to the specific symptoms of gastric cancer, general symptoms may appear that indicate the presence of a tumor:

• rapid fatigue and reduced performance;
• sharp weight reduction;
• general lethargy and sadness;
• permanent weakness;
• apathy;
• the presence of anemia.

Local symptoms include:

• lack of taste pleasure during and after meals;
• a sharp decrease in appetite or a complete lack of it;
• disclaimed the use of certain products;
• a constant feeling of nausea and the occurrence of urge to vomit;
• is an unexplained increase in temperature.

In a separate group, experts identify specific symptoms:

1. Morning vomiting food, which the patient used yesterday. This occurs when there is a tumor in the antral part. Food stagnates, but not digested.
2. The presence of a black thick in the vomit and liquid stool is explained by internal bleeding in the stomach.
3. Food is difficult to pass through the gastrointestinal tract - this indicates a tumor of the initial part of the stomach.

If a patient has a stomach ulcer, it is necessary to carefully monitor his condition, noting the slightest changes in the course of the disease. If new symptoms appear, you need to see a doctor. If the taste has changed, the appetite is lost or there is a pain when eating, these are the primary signs of stomach cancer.

3 Forms and stages of the disease

The oncological process of the gastrointestinal tract proceeds in 3 forms:

1. Latent - without manifestation of symptoms. Detection of the tumor occurs during palpation of the abdomen or with the x-ray of the abdominal cavity, FGS.
2. Pain-free - with this form all the symptoms of the cancer of the digestive tract are present, but there are no painful sensations.
3. Painful form - especially pain in the upper region of the stomach. Pain is given to the lumbar region. Its occurrence is associated with food intake. In some cases, the pain lasts all day, increasing with movement. In the symptoms of stomach cancer there are no painful patterns. Pain does not decrease after eating and does not appear on an empty stomach. Sometimes patients begin to treat radiculitis or neuralgia. This is due to the fact that metastases germinate into the pancreas, damaging it.

Stomach cancer occurs in 4 stages. At each stage of the cancer process, its specific signs are manifested. The early stage is characterized by the appearance of a malignant formation on the surface of the gastric mucosa up to a diameter of 2 cm. The tumor is localized in the stomach or in the lymph nodes.

Then formation passes in 2 stage of development, penetrating into deeper layers of a wall, extending on distance of 5-6 lymph nodes. This leads to disturbances in the process of digestion of food. When the tumor is in a part of the stomach located near the duodenum, food does not enter the intestine. If the neoplasm is located near the esophagus, after it grows, food does not enter the stomach.

In 3 stages, the tumor can be transferred to neighboring organs, affecting even more lymph nodes. The next and most difficult stage is metastasis. During this stage, cancer cells are rejected from the place of origin, spreading throughout the body. Metastases affect other organs, provoking their pathology. Against the background of these processes, the work of vital organs is disrupted.

4 Manifestations depending on the stage of development of pathology

At the initial stage of the disease, the following symptoms are present:

• strongest general weakness;
• presence of gases in the intestine;
• lack of appetite;
• feeling unwell;
• nausea with false urge to vomit or vomiting;
• blood insufficiency due to internal hemorrhage;
• pale skin;
• feeling of a full stomach.

The above-described clinic may be accompanied by symptoms of concomitant pathologies. In this case, specific signs of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract appear in the late stages. Additional laboratory tests are performed to confirm the diagnosis.

There are symptoms that clearly indicate the presence of a malignant tumor in the stomach:

1. The occurrence of unpleasant sensations in the chest area - it can be painful sensations, a feeling of heaviness and squeezing, discomfort.
2. Pathological digestion of food - manifestations of this disorder are frequent eructations, prolonged heartburn, a feeling of heaviness, the presence of gases in the intestines, bloating. Patients do not pay due attention to the manifestation of these symptoms. They learn about the disease only after an additional examination( with a suspicion of another disease).
3. Problems with swallowing - it's hard to swallow when a large lump of food gets into the tract. Against the background of growth of the new growth, food does not pass through the esophagus into the stomach.
4. Nausea occurs after eating and is long-lasting.
5. Feeling of nausea, leading to vomiting - a similar symptom may occur after eating. If the cancer occurs at a late stage, in addition there is a bloody vomiting. The patient shows signs of anemia.
6. Bleeding is manifested by the presence of blood not only in vomiting, but also in feces. This complication is noticeably visually( tar-black color of the stool).
7. Painful sensations that are localized not only in the chest but also between the shoulder blades, in the heart and lower back.

If you have the above symptoms, you need urgent medical help.

5 Diagnostic methods

More often patients turn to the doctor with complaints of discomfort in the stomach. This phenomenon is dyspepsia. Before the appointment of treatment, the doctor conducts a check, determining whether there is a malignant formation. Dyspepsia has its own characteristic symptoms:

• poor appetite;
• aversion to food, which contains many proteins( meat products, fish);
• presence of nausea and vomiting;
• eating does not cause pleasure;
• feeling of "crowded stomach".

With the complex manifestation of the above characteristics, an urgent consultation of specialists is required. If the cancer is located in the first or second stage, you can independently recognize the cancer.

In subsequent stages, endoscopy, histological examination and biopsy are prescribed. A common method of diagnosis is contrast fluoroscopy, which is performed by filling the stomach with contrast medium and determining its shape. This allows you to determine the elasticity of the walls and the presence of formations on the walls of the stomach.

Simultaneously, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is prescribed. This allows to detect metastases and affected lymph nodes. If you identify the disease at an early stage, the chance of a five-year life expectancy with cancer is 90%.