Serious Warning Signs Of Stomach Cancer

Severe And Persistent Indigestion And Heartburn

Severe and persistent indigestion and heartburn can indicate that an individual has stomach cancer. Many patients affected by certain forms of stomach cancer describe feeling a burning sensation when they swallow food. This feeling becomes concerning and indicative of stomach cancer when it continues for three weeks or longer. Heartburn occurs when acid flows backward into the esophagus and causes pain. It triggers this pain because the esophageal lining does not have the same protective mucus layer.

Cancerous stomach tumors can secrete substances that cause the stomach to produce too much acid. The excess acid and inflammation from the tumor can cause gastric acid to travel back up into the esophagus. A large tumor can take up too much space in an individual's stomach and cause its contents to flow backward into the esophagus. This can trigger heartburn and indigestion. Furthermore, individuals who have chronic heartburn or indigestion initially are more likely to develop stomach cancer than others.

Unexplained Nausea And Vomiting

A cancerous tumor in the stomach can take up room and reduce the space available for food. This can, as mentioned, occur because the tumor impairs the mechanical action of stomach emptying and delays the movement of the food into the small intestine. This mechanism can be painful in some patients. This pain is often relieved by vomiting. Food that cannot move past the stomach can begin to ferment or undergo a chemical break down process in the absence of oxygen.

The environment created during this process is favorable for the growth of harmful bacteria, causing a patient to become nauseous and vomit. Food that sits in the stomach too long can develop into a bezoar or a hard, solid collection. Bezoars can obstruct the gastrointestinal tract, which also results in nausea and vomiting. Furthermore, bleeding from the tumor inside of a patient's stomach can cause it to become irritated and result in vomiting.