Stomach (Gastric) Cancer

As stomach ulcers are always preceded by gastritis (or an inflammation of the stomach lining), both conditions are included in this article.

Emergency Symptoms

If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away:

• sharp, sudden, persistent stomach pain
• bloody or black stools
• bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds

What are the symptoms of an ulcer?

Many of the symptoms of an ulcer are also symptoms of gastritis (the inflammation of the stomach wall or gastritis, always precedes an ulcer). Abdominal discomfort is the most common symptom. This discomfort usually

• is a dull, gnawing ache
• comes and goes for several days or weeks
• occurs 2 to 3 hours after a meal

According to the Mayo Clinic, the earliest sign of both noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) stomach tumors is microscopic internal bleeding, which is usually only detected by tests that check your stool for blood. You may also feel tired if this bleeding causes the loss of too many healthy red blood cells (anemia).

Among smokers age 35 to 69 smoking accounts for a three fold increase in the death rate, and approximately half of all regular smokers that begin smoking during adolescence will be killed by tobacco.