Stomach cancer symptoms: Do your stools look like this? It could mean the deadly disease

Stomach cancer is characterised by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. While the condition is relatively rare compared to other types of cancer, one of the biggest dangers of this disease is the difficulty of diagnosing it. Since stomach cancer usually doesn’t cause any early symptoms, it often goes unnoticed until after it has spread to other parts of the body.

READ MORE

• Bowel cancer: Seeing a lump is a warning

Stomach cancer is cancer that starts anywhere inside the stomach or the stomach wall.

It’s also called gastric cancer.

The type of stomach cancer a person has depends on the type of cell it starts in.

It is not known what causes most stomach cancers, but there are some factors that may increase your risk of developing it.

Risk factors such as gender, age, diet, smoking and being overweight could all increase a person’s risk.

Noticing this unusual symptom in your stools could be an early warning of the deadly disease.

READ MORE: How to live longer: Five habits to stop if you want to add 10 years to your life

The colour of your stool can be a key indicator of your level of health, and a particular colour stool could indicate stomach cancer.

Your poo may be darker, almost black, if your stomach is bleeding, according to Cancer Research UK.

But it notes that your stool can also be darker if you’re taking iron tablets.

Other symptoms of the deadly disease

Other symptoms of stomach cancer could include difficulty swallowing, weight loss, pain, persistent indigestion and burping, feeling full after eating small amounts or sickness.

Bleeding in the stomach and feeling very tired and breathless are also indicators that you may be at risk of stomach cancer.

READ MORE

• Bowel cancer: Medication which could reduce your risk says new study

What is the cause of stomach cancer?

The exact cause of stomach cancer is still unclear, but various health bodies say a person may be more likely to develop the disease if they are male, are of 55 years of age or older, smokers, have a diet low in fibre and high in processed food or red meat, or have a diet that contains a lot of salted and pickled foods.

Dr Sarpel added: “A classic stomach cancer pain is a dull the in the middle of the stomach.

“Its the hallmark of stomach cancer-related pain that is persistent and is like a gnawing feeling.

“It’s not something you feel for one day and then it goes away for two weeks and comes back again.”

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it’s imperative to speak with your GP about the possible cause.

Source: Read Full Article