10 Stomach Cancer Symptoms

By jolene

Reviewed: Dr. Mera

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Stomach cancer is also known as gastric cancer. Adenocarcinoma makes up for about 90-95% of it. Sadly, most patients suffering from gastric cancer show no symptoms during the early stages of the disease. Therefore, most of the symptoms in this article are associated with advanced stages of the disease.

Gastric cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and it is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths as well. The incidence of gastric cancer in the US is much lower (15th most common cancer).

Symptom #1: Heartburn

In the early stages of stomach cancer, there may be frequent indigestion or heartburn. This is described as a burning sensation. However, this is not a characteristic symptom as there are many individuals who have indigestion from other conditions such as hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or simply from eating too much.

It occurs when acid in the stomach regurgitates into the esophagus and sometimes into the oral cavity causing irritation to the throat and can lead to a sore throat and cough. Less than 2% of those referred for an endoscopy for indigestion has stomach cancer. While heartburn can be caused by many different conditions, it is also a symptom of stomach cancer.