The weight loss topic is a touchy subject. It’s difficult to lose weight, what with all the fat-loss workouts, fat-burning pills and more doing the rounds. However, what happens when that weight loss is unplanned?
What happens when you suddenly start to lose weight, kilos at a time, without any apparent explanation? That is definitely cause for concern. Many ailments could make you drop excess weight rapidly, but none does, as well as stomach cancer.
Known better as gastric cancer, stomach cancer occurs when cells in the stomach suddenly decide - it’s time to grow. The stomach is a vital organ; it helps us digest food. Sitting in the upper middle section of the belly, it breaks down and digests food.
Stomach cancer can strike anytime and anywhere. It mainly happens in the central area of the stomach, also known as the stomach body. Sometimes, however, it is more likely to begin in the gastroesophageal junction - the part where the long tube that carries the food we swallow meets the stomach. The oesophagus is responsible for carrying food to the stomach.
But why are we talking about where the cancer starts in the stomach? That is because the tumour's location is one factor focused on when crafting a treatment plan. Other factors they consider are the stage of the cancer and the kind of cells involved.
Once the cancer infects the stomach, there is very little you can do except treatment. The course of treatment for this cancer is the removal of the tumour from the stomach.
Treatment may be successful if the cancer remains localised in the stomach. People who are suffering from stomach cancer - if the cancer has yet not spread, then you have a solid shot at being cured. Sadly, that is not the case.
Most cancer cases are found when the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, and curing it is just not feasible. Stomach cancer that protrudes through the stomach wall and spreads to other body parts becomes progressively more challenging to cure.
For many people, having cancer and going through treatment makes it extremely difficult to eat enough to maintain a healthy weight. Weight loss is a fairly common symptom for people suffering from cancer, especially if they have
Stomach cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Oesophageal cancer
Weight loss is often linked with the loss of appetite. This might not be the only reason you’re losing weight. You might be consuming all the food in the world, but if your body is not absorbing all the nutrients in that food, you will still lose weight.
This can be rather upsetting and worrying. Your dietitian or doctor is the best person to go to with your eating problems.
Suffering from stomach cancer will impact eating and drinking habits; it doesn’t matter which stage of cancer or the stage of treatment. People who have to have all or part of their stomach removed will have to adjust the amount that they eat.
Unintentional weight loss is a significant issue for those suffering from gastrointestinal cancers because it impacts treatment, quality of life and survival outcomes. Until recently, little was known about the weight loss trajectory and the link between baseline body mass index (BMI), where the cancer is and treatment outcomes.
Weight loss in patients having GI cancers has implications for survival. Patients who have upper GI cancers have more weight loss and a lower survival rate as compared with patients with lower GI cancers.
This happens because of their impact on the body’s metabolism or the organs involved with digestion. If cancer results in severe weight loss, it is called cancer cachexia. These metabolic conditions result in loss of muscle and a reduced appetite.
Many factors can result in weight loss if someone is suffering from cancer. One important factor is the body’s higher calorie burn. Cancer cells use up more energy than regular cells, making the body burn more calories at rest.
Cancer cells also release substances that impact how your body uses calories from food and can result in weight loss.
One other key factor is inflammation. When the body is fighting cancer cells, the immune system releases substances, also known as cytokines, that increase inflammation.
These can throw a spanner in the works for normal metabolism, interfering with hormones that control appetite. This results in less hunger and a severe shedding of weight.
Another common cause of weight loss is nausea, which happens to be a common side effect of cancer. Patients who have nausea don’t have much of an appetite and are unable to keep food down.
Apart from the drastic loss in weight, stomach cancer comes with its fair share of symptoms. The other symptoms of stomach cancer that you need to look out for are as follows -
Issues with swallowing
Difficulty swallowing, also known as dysphagia, is a common symptom of stomach cancer that happens when a tumour blocks the passage of food through the oesophagus or stomach, resulting in pain and discomfort while swallowing.
Belly pain
If you have stomach cancer, your stomach will hurt. The pain varies in intensity, often like a persistent ache, discomfort, or cramping. This pain might be intermittent or get worse as time goes by.
Feeling bloated
Bloating post-eating is quite common in the case of stomach cancer. As the tumour grows, it blocks the stomach, resulting in an accumulation of gas or food. This causes a sensation of fullness or bloating.
Feeling full after only a tiny amount of food
Feeling full after eating a small portion? This might be a sign of stomach cancer. As tumours grow in the lining of the stomach, they can impact its ability to expand properly, resulting in feeling satiated early.
Not feeling hungry
Another common symptom of stomach cancer is loss of appetite. This happens because of metabolic changes in the body and the presence of a tumour, which interferes with standard hunger signals. Also, having cancer can bring down your appetite drastically.
Heartburn
Heartburn, or acid reflux, happens with stomach cancer because the tumour partially obstructs the passage of food and digestive juices, leading to acid backup in the oesophagus, resulting in a burning sensation in the chest or throat.
Indigestion
Also known as dyspepsia, this is common in stomach cancer patients, causing discomfort in the upper abdomen, including bloating, belching and feeling food. This might get worse with fatty or spicy foods.
Nausea
This happens because of the impact of the tumour on the digestive system. It can happen because of blocked pathways, irritation or alterations in gastric motility. Constantly feeling nauseated makes it challenging for patients to eat or retain food.
Vomiting
This happens because the tumour obstructs the stomach or digestive tract, preventing food from passing. It could happen after eating, resulting in dehydration and malnutrition. Sometimes, in severe cases, blood might show up - indicating internal bleeding from the tumour.
Fatigue
This is quite common in stomach cancer, caused by the cancer and the body’s response to it. As the body fights cancer, energy gets drained, and patients might feel sluggish or tired.
Stools that look black
Black stools, also known as melena, are a symptom of gastrointestinal bleeding, which happens because of stomach cancer. Blood from the stomach might mix with digestive fluids, turning stools dark or black.
Stomach cancer occurs because of a genetic mutation in the DNA of the stomach cells. DNA is a code that dictates to the cells when to grow and when to die. Thanks to this mutation, cells grow really fast and form a tumour.
Cancer cells overtake healthy cells and spread to other body parts. Researchers are still researching what causes the mutation. Certain factors increase the likelihood of developing stomach cancer. They are -
Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Gastritis
Epstein-Barr virus infection
History of stomach ulcers or polyps
A diet that has too many fatty, salty, smoked or pickled foods
A diet bereft of fruits and vegetables
Exposure to coal, rubber or metal
Drinking a lot of alcohol
Obesity
Autoimmune atrophic gastritis
A host of genetic conditions that are linked to increased gastric cancer risk, like
Lynch syndrome
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Familial adenomatous polyposis
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID)
Treating stomach cancer depends on how far the cancer has spread, patient health and treatment preferences. There’s a care team with your primary caregiver, a cancer specialist, and a gastrointestinal specialist who advise you on treatment options.
Surgery
Depending on the spread of the cancer, your doctor might recommend surgery to get rid of precancerous cells, a tumour, and all or part of the stomach.
Upper endoscopy
In the early stages of cancer, when it is limited to the superficial layers of the stomach, an upper endoscopy can get rid of the cancer. In such a procedure (endoscopic submucosal dissection or endoscopic mucosal resection), a gastroenterologist cuts the tumour from the stomach, removing it through your mouth.
Gastrectomy
Once the tumour has spread beyond the superficial layers of the stomach, surgery is required to remove all or part of the stomach. Subtotal gastrectomy gets rid of the stomach affected by cancer.
A total gastrectomy removes the whole stomach. Your doctor will connect your oesophagus to the small intestine so you can still eat.
Several treatments directly target cancer cells, improving the chances of a cure. Chemotherapy uses drugs to shrink tumours before surgery and eliminate remaining cells afterwards, often combined with radiation or targeted therapy.
Radiation employs energy beams like X-rays to destroy cancer cells, typically alongside other treatments. Targeted drug therapy attacks specific weaknesses in cancer cells and is often used for advanced or recurrent cases.
Immunotherapy strengthens the immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells, mainly for recurring or metastatic cancer. These treatments used alone or in combination, enhance effectiveness and symptom management.
In conclusion, no matter which stage of stomach cancer you are suffering from, weight loss is inevitable and a sign of cancer. Don’t be too hassled by the weight loss - after all, it is cancer that you are suffering from, not a common cold.
Speak to your doctor about treatment options and how to stop losing weight. Get the treatment that you need so that going forward, you can live cancer-free.
I'm losing weight rapidly - should I get tested for stomach cancer?
While rapid weight loss is a sign of stomach cancer, there are many ailments out there that cause a rapid loss of weight. Speak to a doctor and ask them why you’re losing weight so they can help you.
I have blood in my stool - is that a sign of cancer?
Blood in the stool can happen because of a bunch of different reasons, stomach cancer being one of them. Get your stool examined; hopefully, reports will tell you whether you should be worried.
What are my chances of getting cured if I have been diagnosed with stomach cancer?
If you have stomach cancer and that cancer has not yet spread to other body parts, you have a solid shot at treatment.
My father had stomach cancer - will I also get the same ailment?
While having a family member suffering from cancer drastically increases your chances of getting this disease, speak to your doctor about your chances.
I'm allergic to chemotherapy - can I still be treated?
If chemotherapy doesn’t work for you, then radiation might be the way to go when it comes to getting treated for stomach cancer.
