Symptoms in Early Stage
1. Repletion and upset of upper abdomen.This symptom would go through the whole course of stomach cancer. As a most common sign of early stomach cancer, repletion and upset in upper abdomen without obvious cause would develop in over 70% patients from early stage. It mostly occurs when patients are quiet and disappears once patients are in activity or distracted. And even diet regulation can do little effect on this symptom.
2. Sour regurgitation and burning sensation in stomach.Early stomach cancer patients would complain of stomach upset and the vague aching pain can be relieved through medicine. Some cases develop the signs like abdominal distention and belching after meals, which may be diagnosed mistakenly as gastritis by doctors.
3. Symptoms like loss of weight and lack of power occur. The development of these symptoms is because of loss of appetite in a short time. Though loss of appetite is one sign of early stomach cancer, patients won’t note it highly as it doesn’t show any pain in stomach.
If the patient has been suffering from stomach cancer for a long time, he may occur bleeding in enteron during daily life. The most common symptoms of that are vomiting of blood, black stool and fecal occult blood presents positive.
Stomach Cancer Symptoms in Late Stage
Actually some symptoms of late stomach cancer are the amplification of early stomach cancer symptoms, which namely is predictable.
1.Being thin and weak, anemia.
2.A long-term upper abdomen pain is also a symptom that would appear in stomach cancer patients in late stage, which is difficult to be relieved.
3.With a high probability to spread, stomach cancer in late stage can directly extend to adjacent pancreas, liver, transverse colon and other organs. It also can travel to the lymph nodes around stomach or distant lymph nodes , for example, some hard and stable lymph nodes can be touched in left supraclavicular region. When it transfers to liver, lung, brain, bones and ovaries, etc., the patient may develop ascites, jaundice and swelling of liver. Perforation, bleeding and necrosis of stomach and other complications are found in serious cases even. Besides, stomach cancer in late stage may present pain in upper abdomen, loss of appetite and weight, lack of power, vomit, black stools or positive fecal occult blood and so no.
4.Other symptoms
The stomach cancer in cardiac part would present a feeling that cannot swallow smoothly, which would further develop to swallowing difficulty and regurgitation of food. Acute gastric perforation aroused from stomach cancer would show the symptoms like pain in whole abdomen and peritonitis. Several cases may have diarrhea, constipation, lower abdomen upset and fever and so on.
Stomach cancer brings patients agony that once related symptoms are found, the patient should go to regular hospital for examination and treatments right away. Timely treatments can effectively improve the life quality and enhance the longevity of patients.
With the developing and innovating of medical service level, the diagnosis methods for diseases are increasing. There are various methods to diagnose gastric cancer while the following methods can effectively diagnose it, systematically evaluating patient’s condition so as to better choose treatment.
Diagnosis Methods of Gastric Cancer
1. Endoscopy: it is also called fibergastroscopy, which is very important to the diagnosis of early gastric cancers. Endoscopy can help detect early gastric cancer, identify the benign and malignant ulcers and determine types of gastric cancer as well as infiltrating range of lesions. It has certain significance for regular follow-up and monitoring of patients with precancerous lesions.
2. X-ray: the result will be different for gastric cancer in different stages. Generally for the early stage of gastric cancer, X-ray can show that cancer cells are only confined to the mucosa and submucosa. While in the processing stages of gastric cancer, it can be showed that X ray signs are closely related to the types of gastric cancer.
3. CT scan: it can clearly show whether cancer cells have invaded gastric wall and the range that cancer cells grow inside and outside the gastric wall, and whether there are metastases, besides, CT scan may also show whether gastric cancer has spread through blood channels.
4. Endoscopic ultrasound: this is a very new diagnostic technique. When diagnosing, it can directly see every layer of stomach, the overall picture of tumor. Endoscopic ultrasound helps to diagnose gastric cancer and its TNM staging.
Gastroscopy Is Not That Uncomfortable
When patients go to hospital due to indigestion, doctors will often require the patient to undergo gastroscopy. Some patients will hesitate because they fear that gastroscopy will bring discomfort. In recent years, the quality of endoscopic mirror is constantly improving, becoming more delicate and easier to maneuverable. Furthermore, undergone by an experienced doctor, the majority of patients only feel mild discomfort. Generally, skilled physicians only need 3-5 minutes to complete a gastroscopy and with complicated conditions, it will rarely exceed 10 minutes. Therefore, the majority of patients are able to accept the examination. Gastroscopy generally does not cause pain but feeling nausea and having difficulty in breathing. Due to the patient's fear and reflection when endoscope inserts into esophagus through pharynx, the majority of patients will temporarily hold their breath, which is like a person who can't swim dropping into water pool, will stop breathing spontaneously. Patients begin to breathe until they cannot hold on, causing nausea. Therefore, the key to undergo gastroscopy smoothly is that patients do not hold breathe and regulate breath on balance.
Diagnosis methods and techniques of diseases are also very important. Accurate test can decrease the rate of misdiagnosis, helping patients accurately choose reasonable treatment options according to their condition, so as to better improve the treatment effect of gastric cancer.
What is the TNM Staging of Stomach Cancer?
In the TNM system:
The T refers to the size and extent of the main tumor. The main tumor is usually called the primary tumor.
T1, T2, T3, and T4: Refers to the size and/or extent of the main tumor. The higher the number after the T, the larger the tumor or the more it has grown into nearby tissues.
The N refers to the number of nearby lymph nodes that have cancer.
N1, N2, and N3: Refers to the number and location of lymph nodes that contain cancer. The higher the number is after the N, the more lymph nodes that contain cancer.
The M refers to whether the cancer has metastasized. This means that the cancer has spread from the primary tumor to other parts of the body.
M0: Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.
M1: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Tips from oncologist at Guangzhou Royallee cancer center: The above is only a partial interpretation of the pathology report of stomach cancer. Patients must find a professional oncologist for a comprehensive interpretation on a detailed pathology report, so that they can receive guidance and treatments timely to avoid irreversible.
The stomach cancer pathology report is an important basis for oncologists to formulate follow-up treatment plans. However, many stomach cancer patients and their families fail to read due to the strong professionalism of pathological reports. In order to help people to have better understanding of the medical terminology in the report, we have collated the common terms in the report for preliminary interpretation.
What is Gastric Adenocarcinoma?
Gastric adenocarcinoma is a type of stomach cancer that is caused by malignant transformation of gastric gland cells, so it is called adenocarcinoma. The incidence of gastric adenocarcinoma accounts for 95% of gastric malignancies.
Is Stomach Cancer Infectious?
Stomach cancer is not infectious, but if there are stomach cancer patients at home, it is recommended to check for Helicobacter pylori infection for other family members. If there is Helicobacter pylori infection, infected people should go for a doctor in Digestive Medicine Department.
What are CEA and CA199, and What are They Represent for?
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is normally produced in gastrointestinal tissue during fetal development, but the production stops before birth. Consequently, CEA is usually present at very low levels in the blood of healthy adults (about 20 ng/mL).[2] However, the serum levels are raised in some types of cancer, which means that it can be used as a tumor marker in clinical tests.
CEA is associated with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, tumor size, serosal infiltration, and lymph node metastasis. Combining with other indicators, it can be used to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy in stomach cancer. If the CEA level falls within the range of >50% or falls to the normal range for more than 4 weeks, it can be used as a therapeutically effective indicator, if CEA value continued to increase after treatment, suggesting a poor prognosis.
Carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) is associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and depth of invasion, and is an independent prognostic indicator for stomach cancer patients. A high value of CA199 in serum might suggest peritoneal recurrence of stomach cancer and a cut of stomach cancer patients’ survival time.
Tips from oncologist at Guangzhou Royallee cancer center: The above is only a partial interpretation of the pathology report of stomach cancer. Patients must find a professional oncologist for a comprehensive interpretation on a detailed pathology report, so that they can receive guidance and treatments timely to avoid irreversible consequences.
The treatment for stomach cancer depends on the size, location, extent of the cancer, and the patient’s body condition. At Guangzhou Royallee cancer center, experts from Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) will jointly hold a consultation to discuss appropriate treatment options for stomach cancer patients, so that to avoid surgical resection and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Traditional Anti-cancer Technology
Surgical resection: Big Trauma, high risk, easy to have complications, great damage to patients’ gastrointestinal function and lower their life quality. It is only suggested for early stage stomach cancer patients.
Radiation and Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy kills normal cells while killing cancer cells, resulting in damage to the immune system, and has toxic side effects such as: hair loss, vomiting, etc. It is not suitable for advanced stomach cancer patients.
New Treatment Options for Stomach Cancer Patients-- Minimally Invasive Technology
Interventional Therapy: with a 1-2 millimeter incision, anti-cancer drugs are directly given to the tumor, causing fewer side effects and drug concentration is 2-8 times higher than systemic chemotherapy, killing cancer cells more accurately.
Photodynamic therapy: when photosensitizer is exposed to a specific wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells. It functions quickly (in 48 to 72 hours) with less pain, lower recurrence rate, and is suitable for weak or advanced patients.
TCM & Western Medicine: Combination of traditional Chinese medicine and minimally invasive techniques can not only kill the cancer cells effectively, but also reduce toxic side effects, lower the rate of cancer recurrence, and greatly improve survival rate.
Gene Targeted Therapy: killing cancer cells from their roots, gene-targeted therapy is the most radical anticancer treatment. Compared with traditional therapies, gene-targeted therapy is more accurate, more effective and safer.
Green Chemotherapy: Improved from traditional chemotherapy, green chemotherapy, avoiding the disadvantage of systematic chemotherapy, greatly improving curative effect and reducing toxic side effects, is a new generation of chemical weapons that kills tumors.
Tips from oncologist at Guangzhou Royallee cancer center: Treatments for stomach cancer are various, but only by treating it based on the patients’ individualized conditions, stomach cancer can be effectively treated and controlled.
Stomach, as a main organ of digestive system, plays an important role. While stomach cancer treatment, which may include surgery or chemotherapy, often affects patients’ appetites and the way they digest food. Many patients may experience a poor appetite, weight loss, stomach pain, and feeling full early, which can make it difficult to adhere to their regular diet. Cancer experts of Guangzhou Royallee cancer center offer advice for maintaining a healthy diet while being treated for stomach cancer.
Eat a balanced diet
After surgery or during treatment for stomach cancer, modifying a balanced diet is important for the patient. The diet should include lower fiber, softer fruits; cooked vegetables; and less fibrous lean proteins, such as fish instead of shellfish, eggs in place of steak, or smooth nut butters instead of raw nuts.
Minimize processed foods
Cut back on meats such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats, which can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. It’s also smart to avoid processed foods including candy, packaged snack foods, soda, and other sweetened beverages, which provide few nutritional benefits.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals
Many people with stomach cancer experience loss of appetite or gastrointestinal discomfort, and eating smaller meals can help. Instead of having three larger meals, try eating six smaller meals a day and maintaining an adequate calorie intake by adding calorie-dense foods. Try peanut butter on crackers, add olive oil to soup, or put avocado in a smoothie.
Try liquid snacks
Liquid snacks, such as smoothies, may help when you have a poor appetite or feel full quickly, and there are many ways to vary these recipes. Try an avocado-berry, green tea, or blueberry smoothie.
Limit irritants
Limiting your intake of alcohol, caffeine, carbonation, and spicy foods may also help limit side effects of treatment.
Nutrition can help manage certain side effects of treatment and support a healthy immune system, as well as promote an overall healthy lifestyle.
How long can a stomach cancer patient live with stomach cancer?
American Cancer Society provides an update of 5-year corresponding survival rate based on stomach cancer stages and it’s as follow:
Stomach Cancer Stage I:88%--94%;
Stomach Cancer Stage II: 68%--82%;
Stomach Cancer Stage III:18%--54%;
Stomach Cancer Stage IV: below 18%.
Timely and effective treatment is the important factors to improve the 5-year relative survival rate of stomach cancer. Minimally invasive therapy featuring smaller traumas, fewer side effects, and good efficacy, prevents stomach cancer patients from surgical resection and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Classification of Stomach Cancer
According to the location of stomach cancer, stomach cancer can be divided into gastric cardia cancer, gastric cancer, gastric antrum cancer, etc. According to pathological classification, it can be divided into early gastric cancer and advanced gastric cancer; according to histological classification, it can be divided into papillary adenocarcinoma, tubular adenocarcinoma, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, signet ring cell carcinoma, mucosal adenocarcinoma, hard cancer, non-carcinoma and mixed cancer.
Treatment for Stomach Cancer
Traditional Anti-cancer Technology
Surgical resection:Big Trauma, high risk, easy to have complications, great damage to patients’ gastrointestinal function and lower their life quality. It is only suggested for early stage stomach cancer patients.
Radiation and Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy kills normal cells while killing cancer cells, resulting in damage to the immune system, and has toxic side effects such as: hair loss, vomiting, etc. It is not suitable for advanced stomach cancer patients.
New Treatment Options for Stomach Cancer Patients-- Minimally Invasive Technology
Interventional Therapy: With a 1-2 millimeter incision, anti-cancer drugs are directly given to the tumor, causing fewer side effects and drug concentration is 2-8 times higher than systemic chemotherapy, killing cancer cells more accurately.
Photodynamic therapy:When photosensitizer is exposed to a specific wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells. It functions quickly (in 48 to 72 hours) with less pain, lower recurrence rate, and is suitable for weak or advanced patients.
TCM & Western Medicine:Combination of traditional Chinese medicine and minimally invasive techniques can not only kill the cancer cells effectively, but also reduce toxic side effects, lower the rate of cancer recurrence, and greatly improve survival rate.
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1. Green Passage to Oncologists inside Guangdong Province
2. Global Leading Minimally Invasive Technique
3. Professional Multidisciplinary Team and Joint Consultation
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