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)