Is It Heartburn or Stomach Cancer? Early Warning Signs

If you experience a kind of stomach pain you haven’t had before, you might wonder if it’s heartburn or a more serious condition like stomach cancer. It’s good that you’re paying attention to your body, and important that you contact your doctor if that pain occurs frequently or doesn’t go away. It may be a minor issue, but your doctor can diagnose it and prescribe treatment if it’s needed.

Stomach Cancer Symptoms

• In its early stages, stomach cancer generally doesn’t cause any symptoms. If it does produce any signs, they tend to be vague and can include: Poor appetite
• Stomach discomfort
• Post-meal bloating
• Indigestion
• Heartburn
• Mild nausea
• Persistent belching

Typically, stomach cancer isn’t found until a gastric tumor has gotten fairly large or cancer has spread to organs or areas outside of the stomach. At that point, it may cause loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, nausea, severe abdominal pain or discomfort, fatigue and weakness.

People with stomach cancer may also feel full after eating small amounts and experience indigestion, heartburn, persistent vomiting with or without blood, blood in the stool or black, tarry stools. Additional symptoms include abdominal swelling or fluid build-up, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), unexplained anemia (fatigue due to lack of red blood cells), difficulty swallowing and a feeling of food getting stuck in the throat.

Other conditions can cause symptoms similar to those of stomach cancer. They include peptic ulcers (damage to the intestinal tract caused by stomach acid) and acid reflux, which is also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD (where stomach acid backs up into and damages the esophagus).

While those conditions are less serious than stomach cancer, you shouldn’t assume you have one of them. If you experience any symptoms that might be caused by stomach cancer, you should talk with your doctor.

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Stomach Cancer Risk Factors

Several factors can increase your risk of developing stomach cancer. Some, like your gender, age, inherited cancer syndromes or past stomach surgery for an ulcer you can’t control. Others, you can, including tobacco use, being overweight or obese, drinking alcohol, a diet high in salty or smoked foods and low in fruits and vegetables and exposure to industrial chemicals.

Stomach cancer can’t be prevented. However, the good news is that by addressing the risk factors above and others you may learn about from your doctor, you can decrease your risk of developing it. You can also improve your digestive health and overall well-being.

Learn About Cancer Care Services at Baptist Health

If you have questions or concerns about stomach cancer or have been diagnosed with any type of cancer, learn more about our cancer care services at Baptist Health. Our skilled and compassionate Cancer Care physicians and care teams use advanced treatments to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients.