Stomach cancer might show its true color at an old age but it starts laying building up in your late 20s and 30s.
Do you know, it’s very hard to detect stomach cancer at an early stage–which means not taking gastric pain seriously can be a deadly affair. Don’t believe us then give this study a read.
A research conducted at the Mayo Clinic discovered that early-onset stomach cancer often grows and spreads more quickly and is more resistant to traditional chemotherapy treatments.
“I think this is an alarming trend, as stomach cancer is a devastating disease, there is little awareness in the U.S. of the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer, and many younger patients may be diagnosed late–when treatment is less effective,” says senior author Travis Grotz, M.D., a Mayo Clinic surgical oncologist.
Not just the US–even in India, it is often misunderstood. Stomach cancer is the seventh most common cancer in Indian women and researchers are calling for more investigations for risk factors.
While the rate of stomach cancer in older patients has been declining for decades, early-onset cancer is increasing. The study notes that today, the average age of someone diagnosed is 68, but people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are now more at risk than ever before. And our lifestyle choices might be to blame.
Dr Grotz says:
Typically, we see stomach cancer being diagnosed in patients in their 70s, but increasingly we are seeing 30- to 50-year-old patients being diagnosed. Younger patients who feel full before finishing a meal, or have reflux, abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss and difficulty eating should see their health care provider.
So, next time if you feel uncomfortably full or if abdominal pain is not leaving you alone then ladies this can be a heads up that you need to go and see a doctor — as it can be an early symptom.
