Al-Marsad Newspaper: Stomach cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer around the world, especially among older males.
This fatal condition is partly due to the absence of symptoms in the initial stages, when treatment is most effective. Moreover, the warning signs are largely non-specific, which makes it difficult to identify the disease. However, identifying them early may have life-saving effects, according to The Express.
Stomach cancer is often asymptomatic in its advanced stages when the disease has a poor prognosis.
However, minor physical changes, including pain and discomfort, may occur early on.
Pain is a common condition among cancer patients, but the pain that characterizes stomach cancer has specific characteristics.
In stomach cancer, it tends to ache specifically following eating and drinking, and in certain parts of the body.
“The initial symptoms of stomach cancer are nonspecific, and often consist of indigestion suggestive of a peptic ulcer,” explains MSD Manuals. The term indigestion describes discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen following eating or drinking. It is a common symptom, characterized by bloating, discomfort, a feeling of fullness, nausea and gas.
In stomach cancer, indigestion is likely to be noticeable following eating only a small meal.
Later, early satiety and fullness may occur following eating a small amount of food. Early satiety may later lead to weight or strength loss.
The British National Organization for Rare Disorders states that stomach cancer is a slow-growing disease that usually develops over a year or more.
“Signs and symptoms can vary greatly from person to person,” she adds.
These factors depend largely on the location and extent of the tumors, as well as the specific organs affected.
Despite the prevalence of stomach cancer, researchers remain unsure of the causes of the disease.
However, it is understood that it occurs when something damages the inner lining of the stomach.
Lifestyle factors, including nutrition, body weight, physical activity and alcohol use, may contribute to this damage.
