Are you one of the people at high risk of gastric cancer?

It is reported that there are about 680,000 new cases of gastric cancer in my country each year, accounting for about half of the global cases. Most patients are diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country, and its incidence rate ranks second among malignant tumors in my country, second only to lung cancer.

Gastric cancer is caused by abnormal division of mucosal cells. Any part of the stomach may develop lesions. In addition, gastric cancer cells can also spread to the liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, ovaries, and lymph nodes.

Six early symptoms of gastric cancer

1. Upper abdominal discomfort.

It is the most common initial symptom of gastric cancer, and about 80% of patients have this symptom, which is similar to indigestion. If abdominal pain occurs, it is generally mild at the beginning and irregular, and it cannot be relieved after eating. It gradually worsens and may be dull pain. It is easy to be confused with other gastrointestinal diseases.

2. Loss of appetite and weight loss.

Loss of appetite and weight loss are also common symptoms of gastric cancer. Nearly 50% of gastric cancer patients have obvious symptoms of loss of appetite or poor appetite. Unexplained anorexia and weight loss may be the initial symptoms of early gastric cancer and need to be taken seriously.

3. Abdominal pain.

When gastric cancer develops and expands, especially when it penetrates the serosa and invades the pancreas or transverse colon mesentery, persistent severe pain may occur and radiate to the waist and back. Very few patients with perforated cancerous ulcers may also experience severe abdominal pain and signs of peritoneal irritation.

4. Anemia.

Some gastric cancer patients will experience long-term, small amounts of bleeding from the ulcer surface of the stomach during the illness, and coupled with a decrease in absorption function, this directly leads to iron deficiency anemia and megaloblastic anemia in gastric cancer patients.

5. Nausea and vomiting.

It is also one of the more common symptoms and can occur in the early stage. Gastric antral cancer can also cause symptoms of pyloric obstruction.

6. Vomiting blood and black stools.

When the surface of the tumor ulcer bleeds, vomiting blood and black stools will occur. One-third of gastric cancer patients often have small amounts of bleeding, which is often manifested as positive occult blood in the stool, and some may have intermittent black stools. If there are these two symptoms, it is best to do a gastroscopy or fecal occult blood test.

Gastric cancer prefers these six types of people

1. Family history of gastric cancer or esophageal cancer:

The risk of first-degree relatives (i.e. parents and siblings) of gastric cancer patients developing gastric cancer is three times higher than the average of the general population.

2. Those who have undergone partial gastrectomy, have gastric polyps or gastric precancerous lesions (such as chronic atrophic gastritis, etc.).

3. Infection with Helicobacter pylori:

Studies have shown that infection with Helicobacter pylori may increase the risk of gastric cancer by 2.7 to 12 times.

4. Bad eating habits:

Long-term irregular diet, fast eating, preference for pickled and smoked foods, high-salt diet, lack of fresh vegetables, etc. can all cause stomach damage.

5. Long-term alcoholism and smoking:

The various carcinogenic or cancer-promoting substances in smoke are one of the causes of gastric cancer. Alcohol can irritate the gastric mucosa, causing changes in mucosal cells and leading to gastric cancer. The harm is even greater if you are exposed to both tobacco and alcohol.

6. Mental stimulation and sulking:

The survey found that nearly one in ten gastric cancer patients had suffered from negative life events before becoming ill.