New Delhi: According to scientists, people aged 60 years and above who regularly suffer from stomach pain or bloating must get checked for stomach cancer. Researchers at University College London found that this one symptom could significantly raise the risk of older patients for cancer. In this case patinets had only 3.1% chances of surviving cancer and this can occur even without any other symptoms of the disease appearing. Experts found that another warning sign at an advanced stage is gut problems, and this can further increase the risk by 3%.
Researchers also noted that routine blood tests given to patients dealing with stomach problems lack tumour clues and this delays diagnosis of cancer. It was also found that the red flags are several times not detected by doctors. If all the abnormalities are to be evaluated from the 19 tests, it is likely that cancer rate would increase to 46% from 40%. In half the cases, patients with stomach cancer who visit a doctor report vague symptoms which makes diagnosis difficult. Experts said that this could be a reason why relatively fewer cases are diagnosed in a year.
Researchers also noted that most of the patients are investigated with the help of basic tests that can help with disease detection well in time. Experts said that it can be challenging for doctors to interpret blood test data so an automated too would be necessary to assess cancer risk. The study, published in PLOS Medicine journal, can make way for better detection of diseases. In the study, researchers included patients who visited doctors from 2007-2016 to help with bloating and stomach pain. Two-thirds of the patients were sent for blood tests.
What are the symptoms of stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, can show in the following symptoms:
Loss of appetite
Heartburn
Fatigue
Stomach pain
Indigestion
Stomach pain
Bloating after eating
Nausea
Feeling too full after small meals
According to scientists, people aged 60 years and above who regularly suffer from stomach pain or bloating must get checked for stomach cancer. Researchers at University College London found that this one symptom could significantly raise the risk of older patients for cancer. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
