Be alert to these symptoms, otherwise stomach cancer will develop to the late stage!
For stomach cancer patients, the most undesirable outcome is the disease progressing to the late stage. However, everyone’s luck is different, so we have to prepare for the worst in advance. Grasping the signals that the disease has progressed to the late stage is the best preparation for “not fighting an unprepared battle.”
6 suspicious symptoms of advanced gastric cancer
The cancer pain is pain caused by a tumor pressing on bones, peripheral nerves, or nearby organs. Cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can all cause pain. There are different types of cancer pain, including: Acute pain, which is severe pain that lasts for a short time. Chronic pain, which is mild to severe pain that lasts longer and then goes away. Breakthrough pain, which is sudden, severe pain that lasts for a short time and is usually controlled with medication.
Standardized drug treatment can relieve pain symptoms in 80% to 90% of cancer patients
- If the patient only has mild pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as indomethacin, ibuprofen, diclofenac , etc.) or acetaminophen can be used according to the doctor’s advice;
- For moderate pain, weak opioids (such as tramadol, codeine, etc.) or low-dose strong opioids (such as morphine, fentanyl, etc.) can be used;
- Strong opioids are the first choice for severe pain.
In addition, applying wet compresses with a water bag or a cold wet towel to the painful area, or applying hot compresses with a 65°C hot water bag, as well as moxibustion, distraction, etc., can also assist drug treatment in alleviating pain symptoms.
Cancer fatigue
Cancer fatigue is a frustrating, persistent, subjective feeling of fatigue or exhaustion, including physical, emotional, and cognitive fatigue, which is related to malignancy or its treatment, is disproportionate to physical activity, interferes with normal body functions, and is a source of distress for patients.
How to solve it?
First of all, patients need to develop good sleeping habits and sleep for at least 8 hours every night. At the same time, they should not drink coffee or tea before going to bed and avoid taking long naps. They can drink a glass of milk and soak their feet before going to bed to promote sleep. At the same time, patients also need to develop regular exercise habits and exercise for about half an hour every day.
Secondly, patients should take in adequate nutrition, supplement protein and vitamins, and strengthen nutrition; in addition, maintaining an optimistic mood is also one of the important means to reduce fatigue.
Cachexia
Cachexia is a syndrome of multiple functional disorders of the body cause by various chronic wasting diseases, cancer, etc.
It is manifest by extreme weight loss, skin and bones, a skeleton-like appearance, anemia, weakness, complete bed rest, inability to take care of oneself, extreme pain, systemic exhaustion and other syndromes, mostly caused by cancer and other serious chronic diseases. The occurrence of this disease often refers to the body being in a state of serious dysfunction. Among them, tumor-associated cachexia is the most common, called tumor cachexia.
How to solve it?
When patients develop this situation, they should first undergo relevant blood tests to assess their nutritional status and give them appropriate enteral and parenteral nutrition based on their nutritional status. If enteral nutrition is possible, try to give it because it is safer and the nutrients are more balanced. If the patient is unable to eat, they can be give parenteral nutrition, that is, intravenous nutrition . The daily calories and protein requirements of the patient should be calculate based on the patient’s height and weight to provide corresponding nutritional support, which often achieves better results.
Upper abdominal mass
Gastric cancer is cause by the continuous malignant proliferation of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Most patients have no discomfort in the early stage. However, as the malignant cells continue to proliferate, a mass will form in the gastric mucosa. The patient will feel it clearly when touching the upper abdomen, and often feel pain when pressing. It may also be accompanied by upper abdominal pain and upper abdominal fullness. The discomfort symptoms will worsen after eating, which will affect appetite, lead to weight loss, physical fatigue, etc. In severe cases, it will cause difficulty in swallowing.
Vomiting blood, black stools
When gastric cancer invades the small blood vessels of the stomach wall, a small amount of bleeding may occur, which may manifest as vomiting blood or black stools. When gastric cancer invades the larger blood vessels, a large amount of vomiting blood and black stools may occur.
How to solve it?
Usually, bleeding blood vessels are clamp with gastroscope, and interventional treatment can also be perform, such as blocking bleeding blood vessels, or blocking most tumor blood vessels, and hemostatic drugs can also be infuse . If the condition is serious and the amount of bleeding is very large, blood transfusion and shock correction are also require.
trouble breathing
If the tumor of a patient with advanced gastric cancer metastasizes to the lungs, or if adverse lung reactions occur after radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and the patient’s body is extremely weak, they are likely to experience symptoms of difficulty breathing, which will seriously affect the patient’s physical and mental health.
How to solve it?
Patients can use theophylline drugs (such as aminophylline ), opioids (such as morphine), glucocorticoids, promethazine, etc. as prescribed by the doctor to maintain airway patency, correct hypoxia, control tumors and tumor complications, and reduce the patient’s degree of dyspnea; in addition, mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy and interventional minimally invasive treatment can also effectively relieve the patient’s dyspnea.
In short, during the treatment process, gastric cancer patients must pay close attention to the various clinical manifestations that occur in themselves, so as to catch the tail of the disease progression in time. However, if they fail to avoid it, the tumor will inevitably progress to the late stage. We must also maintain the mentality of “if it comes, we will make peace with it”, “if the enemy comes, we will fight, if the water comes, we will block it”, and relieve and eliminate the discomfort as soon as possible. But the most important thing is to carry out the corresponding anti-tumor treatment in time under the guidance of professional doctors .