Cancer of the stomach can lead to various symptoms, including anemia, bloating, chest pain, and weight loss. While these symptoms are not immediately obvious, a physician can help determine if they’re indicative of cancer of the stomach. Generally, stomach cancer can be detected through a physical exam and medical history. Some patients may feel a mass in their stomach or vomit blood. Other stomach cancer symptoms include vomiting blood or dark-colored feces. Once the cancer has spread to the surrounding tissues, patients may experience bowel obstruction, fractures, neurologic changes, and swelling in the abdomen.
A doctor can also use biopsy findings to determine whether you’re experiencing these symptoms. There are several types of stomach cancer, including adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. Although stomach cancer is not the most common type of stomach cancer, it’s important to seek medical care if you suspect you may have one of these types of tumors. While there are some symptoms specific to stomach cancer, it’s important to remember that many of these signs are not indicative of any particular type.
While there’s no known cure for stomach cancer, treatment is generally based on where it’s located. Surgery can remove part or all of the stomach, including nearby lymph nodes. Chemoradiation may be part of the treatment plan, which is usually the case with stage I stomach cancer. In this stage, the cancer has already spread to nearby organs, such as the lymph nodes. Chemoradiation, or chemotherapy, is often used before surgery to shrink the tumor before surgery. Alternatively, it may be given after surgery to kill cancer cells and the disease.
