Resources for coping with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finding stomach cancer early
When stomach cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better. Get regular health checkups and see your doctor if you have:
- heartburn or indigestion
- bloating, discomfort or pain in the abdomen
- feeling full after a small meal
- feeling like food is getting stuck in the throat while eating
- nausea, vomiting or both
Some people have a higher than average risk of developing stomach cancer. You may be at a higher risk if you:
- have Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
- smoke
- have a family history of stomach cancer
- have an inherited condition such as hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC), familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), Lynch syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, juvenile polyposis syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome or BRCA gene mutations
- have a stomach condition such as chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, gastric epithelial dysplasia, adenomas, Ménétrier disease, pernicious anemia
- had stomach surgery
- have type A blood
Talk to your doctor about your risk. If you are at higher than average risk, you may need a personal plan for testing. This may include:
- blood, breath or stool test for H. pylori
- upper gastrointestinal (GI) series
- upper GI endoscopy (also called gastroscopy)