Author: Zhu Zhi (The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University)
Early gastric cancer is defined as a tumor confined to the mucosa and/or submucosa of the gastric wall (ie, confined to the innermost two layers of the gastric wall), with or without lymph node metastases.
It can be simply understood that the growth of early gastric cancer in the stomach wall is relatively superficial, and the treatment outcome is generally good at this time.
Most early gastric cancer can be cured under endoscopy[1].
However, approximately 80 percent of patients with early gastric cancer are asymptomatic [2].
The Chinese Anti-Cancer Society recommends that people can identify early warning signs of gastric cancer from their own feelings and changes in symptoms.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Stomach cancer may signal the following early stages.
1. Unexplained loss of appetite, fatigue and significant weight loss;
2. For patients with previous gastric diseases (such as gastritis, gastric ulcer), abdominal pain loses the regularity of the original ulcer attacks, and does not relieve after eating or taking medicine, but aggravates;
3. Continued black stools, pale complexion, weakness;
4. Abdominal discomfort, indigestion, irregular or irregular bowel movements more than 5 years after previous gastric surgery.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
The above symptoms are some of the “signals” of early gastric cancer, but are often mistaken by patients for worsening stomach problems.
For people with a family history of gastric cancer or other gastrointestinal tumors, if they have the above symptoms without stomach disease, or if the original stomach disease symptoms change or aggravate, they should be vigilant and should be alerted as soon as possible. Go to the hospital and receive a specialist examination.
After resection of early gastric cancer, the 5-year survival rate can be as high as 95% or more [3].
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
References:
[1] Saragoni, L., et al. Early Gastric Cancer: Clinical Behavior and Treatment Options. Results of an Italian Multicenter Study on Behalf of the Italian Gastric Cancer Research Group (GIRCG)[ J].Oncologist, 2018.
[2] Chen Qingfa. The application of ultra-fine gastroscope and pre-examination communication in gastroscopic review of patients with early gastric cancer[J]. Chinese Journal of Modern Medicine, 2017.
[3] Kim, S.G., et al.Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in Patients with Early Gastric Cancer: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study[J].Gut Liver, 2018.
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