What are the symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer? Does this type of cancer usually show up gradually, or quickly?
1 Answer
Unfortunately, early-stage stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms. That said some possible symptoms are included in the explanation.
It shows up gradually and may stay undetected for while allowing it to spread and potentially turn fatal.
Explanation:
Unfortunately, early-stage stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms. This is one of the reasons stomach cancer is so hard to detect early. The signs and symptoms of stomach cancer may include:
• Poor appetite
• Weight loss
• Abdominal pain
• Vague discomfort in the abdomen, usually above the navel
• A sense of fullness in the upper abdomen after eating a small meal
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting, with or without blood
• Swelling or fluid build-up in the abdomen
• Low red blood cell count (anemia)
Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by things other than cancer, such as a stomach virus or an ulcer. They may also occur with other types of cancer. But people who have any of these problems, especially if they don’t go away or get worse, should check with their doctor so the cause can be found and treated. Since symptoms of stomach cancer often do not appear until the disease is advanced, only about 1 in 5 stomach cancers in the United States is found at an early stage, before it has spread to other areas of the body.
