Can stomach cancer be felt? Unfortunately, this disease often manifests only in the late stages and not necessarily with abdominal pain. Dr. Darya Sadovskaya, a nephrologist, discussed the symptoms of this terrible disease on her channel.
Lower back pain can be a symptom of stomach cancer. Here’s what it’s related to. "The stomach doesn’t hurt even in advanced stages (the gastric mucosa has few pain receptors), and about 70% of people learn about their oncology at stage three or four," says the doctor. "There may be mild symptoms that appear more often in the second stage of the disease: heaviness after eating, quick satiety, mild constant nausea, and sometimes anemia."
Another common sign of stomach cancer is an enlarged lymph node above the left collarbone. The reason is that the walls of the stomach are rich in lymphatic vessels, so cancer cells can early reach the lymph nodes.
But the most unexpected symptom is bone pain, in the lower back. According to the doctor, this occurs in the late stages when the metastases are already painful.
"Stomach cancer usually takes about five years to develop from the first to the third stage, and about three to seven more years to reach the fourth stage. But there is a more aggressive, diffuse type, where it can take only one to two years from the early stage to spread," emphasizes Dr. Sadovskaya.
And the scariest thing is that the most aggressive type of stomach cancer occurs in young people.
As for the prognosis, more than 90% of patients survive at an early stage, about 40% at the third stage, and approximately 5-10% manage at the fourth stage.
The doctor notes: anyone can get stomach cancer. However, the chances are higher for smokers, patients with chronic atrophic gastritis, and those suffering from Helicobacter pylori — the bacteria that causes Helicobacteriosis. Additionally, heredity and diet play a role: even frequent consumption of salty, smoked, and heavily processed foods increases the risk of stomach cancer.
How to detect stomach cancer at an early stage
According to Sadovskaya, stomach cancer cannot be seen on ultrasound or in blood tests. The only option left is gastroscopy.
"Gastroscopy should be done once every one to two years, even if there are no symptoms. Such a screening program is in place in Japan and South Korea, where about 60% of stomach cancer is 'caught' at the first stage," emphasizes the doctor.
