Stomach Cancer Symptoms

Stomach Cancer Symptoms

While a diagnosis of cancer is often devastating, but it is important to know the stomach cancer symptoms so you can talk to your doctor at the first sign of trouble. Early-stage stomach cancer is often asymptomatic, so regular screenings after age forty are recommended. At later stages, stomach cancer can cause a variety of symptoms, most of which are associated with other pathologies as well.

Shrinking appetite and weight

Many patients start eating less due to lost appetite or feeling full after eating less than what is normally required to achieve a sense of satiation. As a consequence of this, patients often begin to lose a great deal of weight. Although many would welcome such weight loss, in this case it may signal a life-threatening illness if not dealt with quickly.

Bowel changes

Even if patients eat normally, vomiting and changes in the stool are often present. Diarrhea is one of the more common stomach cancer symptoms, but it is hard to pinpoint the precise cause of this sign. A more worrisome and specific symptom is blood in the stool. The presence of blood in the stool indicates an immediate trip to a medical professional.

Lethargy and fatigue

Lethargy and fatigue are symptoms of many different cancers, and stomach cancer is no exception. While not always a sign of cancer, fatigue is sometimes connected to blood loss from blood in the stool that results in anemia. This is a serious problem that can kill if not treated.

The symptoms of stomach cancer described above paint a scary picture of what can happen to a stomach cancer patient, but this disease is very survivable if treatment is started as soon as symptoms manifest themselves.