Stomach cancer symptoms: four early signs of the disease to know

Stomach cancer is a fairly uncommon type of cancer, but as the symptoms are similar to those of many other conditions, if you experience any signs you should get them checked out by your GP

as soon as possible. According to the NHS, the first four initial symptoms include: persistent indigestion and heartburn, trapped wind and frequent burping, feeing very full or bloated after

meals, and persistent stomach pain. When the cancer has advanced other symptoms may occur. These can be: blood in your stools, or black stools, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The exact

cause is still unclear, but various health bodies say you’re more likely to develop it if you are male, are of 55 years of age or older, smoke, have a diet low in fibre and high in processed

food or red meat, or have a diet that contains a lot of salted and pickled foods. If you don’t get treatment for stomach cancer, it can spread to other parts of your body or organs, such as

your liver. Stomach cancer is usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early. The NHS advises: “Stomach cancer is much more common in older people, with 90 out of 100 cases occurring in

people who are over 55 years of age. “Indigestion is a very common symptom in the general population. However, it's unlikely that someone with indigestion who's under the age of 55

will have stomach cancer. “However, see your GP if you have indigestion and weight loss, anaemia or persistent vomiting. They should refer you to a specialist for further testing. “Also see

your GP if you have difficulty swallowing. This isn't a common symptom among the general population and the cause should always be investigated.” Stomach cancer should not be confused

with other cancers that can occur in the abdomen, like bowel cancer. Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the UK. Persistent blood in the stools and discomfort

or bloating are two of the signs, but these can also be symptoms of piles and discomfort or bloating brought on by eating. A persistent change in bowel habit is one of the notable signs of

bowel cancer, and there are three changes you should note. The NHS lists three bowel habit changes - going more often, looser stools, and sometimes tummy (abdominal) pain. But constipation,

a common bowel problem where you pass harder stools less often, is rarely caused by serious bowel conditions. The cause of most bowel cancers is not yet known, but there are six factors that

can increase your risk of getting the disease. According to Bowel Cancer UK these are being aged over 50, a strong family history of bowel cancer, a history of non-cancerous growths in your

bowel, longstanding inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, type 2 diabetes, and an unhealthy lifestyle. The charity says: “You are more at risk of getting

bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors. This doesn’t mean that you will definitely get bowel cancer. “Equally, if you don’t have any risk factors, it doesn’t

mean you can’t get bowel cancer.” Having this colour poo could indicate you have the disease.