The incidence rate of stomach cancer is quite higher among cancer related diseases. The incidence rate of stomach cancer in Taiwan is 1 out of 100,000 people. Understanding the early symptoms of stomach cancer will help with early diagnosis of stomach cancer.

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is one of the early signs for stomach cancer, including, hematemesis, melena and occult blood in stools, are commons symptoms in patients with stomach cancer. Signs of small hemorrhage can occur in the early stage of stomach cancer, where hematemesis accounts for 7-15% and melena accounts for 23-45%. The probability of occult blood in stools is higher with 87.6% positive rate in gastric cancer and 64.4% in cardiac cancer. If the occult blood in stools remains positive, it will help with the diagnosis of stomach cancer.

The early symptoms of stomach cancer in elderly in include upper abdominal fullness. Sometimes patients with stomach cancer are companied by belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, and vomiting. If stomach cancer occurs at the entrance (cardia) of the stomach, patients will experience obstructed intake. If stomach cancer occurs at the exit of stomach (pylorus), patients could vomit perished food from last nights, when there is obstruction.

Early symptoms of stomach cancer can also show declined appetite, marasmus and weakness. Statistics show that 50% of elderly patients with stomach cancer show significantly declined appetite, increasing marasmus, and weakness, while 40-60% patients seek for medical help due to marasmus. Patients should pay attention to symptoms of stomach cancer if the marasmus is companied by upper abdominal discomfort.