Anton Bilchik MD Discusses Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer rarely causes symptoms, especially in the early stages. The lack of symptoms makes stomach cancer very hard to detect. When symptoms do appear, they can be vague or easily attributed to indigestion or a stomach virus.

Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer may include:

• Feeling bloated, especially after eating 

• Feeling full even after a small meal 

• Fatigue 

• Severe and unrelenting heartburn and indigestion 

• Persistent nausea that appears for no reason 

• Stomach pain 

• Persistent vomiting 

• Unintentional weight loss 

It is always best to diagnose cancer in its earliest stages, before it has a chance to spread. Because these symptoms may not appear in the early stages of cancer, many people do not go to the doctor until cancer has advanced to later stages, when it is more difficult to treat. Only about one in five cases of stomach cancer in the United States is found at an early stage. Anyone who has these symptoms and is worried about cancer should seek the help of a doctor, especially if these symptoms do not go away or get worse.

Anton Bilchik is one of the nation’s leading experts in cancer care with special expertise in stomach cancer. Anton Bilchik uses advanced technologies to detect stomach cancer, including endoscopies, CT scans, and advanced imaging tests to help him determine if a patient needs surgery to remove the cancerous tissue. This accomplished surgeon is the Chief of Medicine and the Chief of the Gastrointestinal Research Program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute; Dr. Bilchik has extensive experience with minimally invasive and complex cancer surgeries.