Stomach cancer
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of stomach cancer
- Ongoing indigestion, heartburn or burping
- Difficulty swallowing
- Feeling full or bloated after eating
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Poor appetite and weight loss
- Nagging stomach pain
- Blood in your bowel movements or black stools
- Tiredness
All these symptoms can be caused by other common conditions, but it’s important to go to the GP and get any unusual changes checked, especially if they go on for more than 4–6 weeks.
Can I be screened for stomach cancer?
Testing for stomach cancer when you have no symptoms is called screening. There is no national screening programme for stomach cancer. Your doctor will keep a closer eye on you if you have Barrett’s oesophagus or polyps, as these can increase your risk.
A type of stomach cancer called hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is caused by an inherited mutation in a gene called CDH1. If your family is affected by this gene change, you may have an increased risk of this type of stomach cancer and your doctor will talk to you about the benefits of screening.
Screening involves endoscopy (camera examination) to look inside the stomach. Tiny tissue samples can be taken from the stomach to look for any changes which might lead to cancer.
Most stomach cancers are not caused by inherited gene changes.
If you are worried about stomach cancer, talk to your GP.
Continue reading about stomach cancer
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