Dear Mayo Clinic: Signs of stomach cancer? Diagnosis and treatment

By Chloe Corey

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A 62-year-old man I labored with was recognized with abdomen most cancers earlier this 12 months. He reportedly was feeling full even after consuming small meals and skilled abdomen ache above his stomach button. I’m beginning to fear as a result of I’ve not too long ago began to expertise comparable signs. I’m solely 38. Is it attainable I might have abdomen most cancers? How do I get screened? What are the therapy choices?

ANSWER: Most individuals recognized with stomach cancerwhich can also be referred to as gastric most cancers, are over the age of 60. Nonetheless, within the U.S., abdomen cancers in individuals underneath 40 have been steadily rising. Total, this type of most cancers just isn’t quite common, however elements that enhance your danger embrace:

Sadly, abdomen most cancers doesn’t at all times trigger signs in its early levels, and plenty of signs might not occur till the most cancers is superior. Indicators and signs of abdomen most cancers might embrace:

• Issue swallowing.
• Stomach ache.
• Feeling bloated after consuming.
• Feeling full after consuming small quantities of meals.
• Not feeling hungry while you would count on to be hungry.
• Shedding weight with out attempting.
• Feeling very drained.
• Stools that look black.

When you’ve got indicators and signs that fear you, it is best to make an appointment together with your healthcare staff. Many different circumstances could cause signs which can be just like abdomen most cancers. Your healthcare staff might suggest testing similar to an upper endoscopyadditionally referred to as an higher gastrointestinal endoscopy, which is a process that’s used to visually look at your higher digestive system. This can be utilized to display for abdomen most cancers as the reason for your signs. An endoscopy permits the physician to take a look at the within of your abdomen. Abdomen most cancers can seem as an ulcer, a mass or a thickening of the abdomen wall. Your doctor then can get hold of biopsies of the world to find out if in case you have abdomen most cancers.

The therapy of abdomen most cancers depends upon the stage. Endoscopic ultrasounda minimally invasive process to evaluate illnesses of the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and different close by organs and tissues, CT or PET scan imagingand a staging laparoscopy are used to find out the medical stage.

Whereas it’s unusual to search out early abdomen most cancers, therapy for early-stage illness typically solely requires native therapy. For instance, in early abdomen cancers that contain solely the mucosa, or inside lining of the abdomen, and measure lower than 2-3 centimeters in dimension, the abdomen most cancers could be eliminated utilizing endoscopic submucosal dissection with out the necessity for surgical procedure or extra therapy. For different early abdomen cancers that don’t meet these standards, surgical procedure to take away the abdomen most cancers and regional lymph nodes is beneficial.

Nonetheless, if the most cancers is discovered to have unfold to the lymph nodes on the time of surgical procedure, then the affected person is at the next danger of abdomen most cancers returning after surgical procedure alone. Subsequently, chemotherapy after surgical procedure is usually beneficial to lower the chance of most cancers recurrence.

Usually, sufferers are recognized with extra superior abdomen most cancers, which suggests a deeper involvement of the abdomen or unfold to regional lymph nodes. On this extra widespread state of affairs, combining chemotherapy and surgical procedure is important for the perfect outcomes. Chemotherapy normally is given earlier than and after surgical procedure on this case.

Lastly, if the abdomen most cancers has been discovered to have unfold exterior the abdomen and regional lymph nodes, then that is stage 4 most cancers. The first therapy is systemic remedy. Further testing could be completed on the tumor to find out if the abdomen most cancers may reply to focused remedy or immunotherapy. In some instances the place there’s a small quantity of tumor unfold to the liner of the stomach, referred to as the peritoneum, a surgical procedure referred to as cytoreductive surgical procedure and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy can be utilized to delay a affected person’s survival.

Abdomen most cancers therapy choices are advanced and must be individualized to your explicit state of affairs. It’s important to hunt out an skilled staff to assist with the correct staging of most cancers, assist with administration selections and for high-quality endoscopic or surgical resection. — dr. Travis GrotzSurgical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Study Extra

Study extra about stomach cancer and find a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic.

Be part of the Cancer Support Group on Mayo Clinic Connectan internet group moderated by Mayo Clinic for sufferers and caregivers.

Additionally, learn these articles: