Stomach Cancer (cont.)
Symptoms
Early stomach cancer often does not cause clear symptoms. As the cancer
grows, the most common symptoms are:
Most often, these symptoms are not due to
cancer. Other health problems, such as an ulcer or infection, can cause the same
symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should tell the doctor so that problems can
be found and treated as early as possible.
Diagnosis
If you have a symptom that suggests stomach cancer, your doctor must find out
whether it is really due to cancer or to some other cause. Your doctor may refer
you to a gastroenterologist, a doctor whose specialty is diagnosing and treating
digestive problems.
The doctor asks about your personal and family health history. You may have
blood or other lab tests. You also may have:
- Physical exam: The doctor checks your abdomen for fluid, swelling, or
other changes. The doctor also feels for swollen lymph nodes. Your skin and eyes
are checked to see if they seem yellow.
- Upper GI series: The doctor
orders x-rays of your esophagus and stomach. The x-rays are taken after you
drink a barium solution. The solution makes your stomach show up more clearly on
the x-rays.
- Endoscopy: The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube (endoscope)
to look into your stomach. The doctor first numbs your throat with an anesthetic
spray. You also may receive medicine to help you relax. The tube is passed
through your mouth and esophagus to the stomach.
- Biopsy: The doctor uses
an endoscope to remove tissue from the stomach. A pathologist checks the tissue
under a microscope for cancer cells. A biopsy is the only sure way to know if
cancer cells are present.
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You may want to ask your doctor these questions about having a biopsy:
- How will the biopsy be done?
- Will I have to go to the hospital?
- Will I have
to do anything to prepare for it?
- How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will
it hurt?
- Are there any risks? What are the chances of infection or bleeding
after the procedure?
- How long will it take me to recover? When can I resume my
normal diet?
- How soon will I know the results? Who will explain them to me?
- If I
do have cancer, who will talk to me about next steps? When?
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Next: How is staging determined? »
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