Symptoms of gastric cancer are quite diverse, and, unfortunately, are not specific, which is why you need to clearly know what deviations in digestion require immediate medical attention.
The first symptoms of stomach cancer can occur at the stage of transformation of normal cells into tumor cells. Then the patient may feel weakness, malaise, decreased performance and a slight, but persistent increase in temperature. Sometimes patients associate these symptoms with a banal overwork or a mild cold, but it can be much worse. Later, gastric cancer symptoms appear, which can be attributed to the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. A person begins to consume much less food than usual, while he feels full satiety. As a result, the body lacks nutrients and there is a sharp utilization of all fat reserves. Such patients lose weight dramatically, look exhausted and weak. As the tumor progresses, anemic symptoms increase (the tumor seems to be eating red blood cells), the skin color becomes pale, circles under the eyes appear. Symptoms of gastric cancer gradually progress; belching and a feeling of heaviness appear after eating even a small portion of food.
Patients complain of a specific taste in the mouth, and the inability to eat meat food (it causes disgust). Some patients are concerned about chest pains (they are often confused with heart pains), but this only happens at the stage when the tumor grows into the fiber or neighboring organs.
Low-grade fever lasts throughout the disease, and sometimes it can only bother the patient.
As already noted, the symptoms of stomach cancer are very nonspecific and sometimes completely absent, which is why patients often come too late.
Most people who monitor their health are interested in the question: how to identify stomach cancer? To do this, it is enough to adhere to the correct lifestyle, notice the slightest malfunctions in the body and regularly consult with a therapist (at least once a year). As for the direct diagnosis, with suspected gastric cancer, it initially consists in a thorough history taking. Next, it is tedious to conduct fibrogastroscopy with a biopsy. Often, the initial signs of stomach cancer can be an ulcerative or erosive mucosal defect. Therefore, it is necessary to take the tissue for examination, and as a result either confirm or refute the diagnosis. How gastric cancer manifests itself on FGDS is a very individual question, sometimes it can be a formed tumor, and sometimes it is only an erosion site. But in both situations the problem is quite serious.
In addition to endoscopic diagnostic methods, it is possible to carry out radiography with contrast (a contrast mixture is taken orally). At the same time, the tumor will be clearly visible in the pictures, it is possible to measure its size. A more accurate three-dimensional image can be obtained using computed tomography, but with which you can see the tumor relative to other organs and tissues, determine its germination and metastasis.
An ultrasound is a fairly popular method for diagnosing gastric cancer , with it you can initially determine whether there is a pathology in the stomach or not, and if it is diagnosed, see metastases in the lymph nodes.
There are several ways to prevent the development of this process:
- regular proper and balanced nutrition;
- restriction of the use of spicy, salted and smoked food, sauces, seasonings and spices;
- quitting smoking and drinking alcohol;
- reduction to a minimum of the use of preservatives and semi-finished products;
- reduce contact with fumes of chemicals.