How long does it take from gastric ulcer to gastric cancer

Gastric ulcer is a common disease. Studies have found that patients with gastric ulcer canceration account for about 5% of the number of gastric ulcer patients. Most patients with gastric ulcer canceration have a long history of chronic gastric ulcer. Long-term chronic gastric ulcer causes repeated destruction of epithelial cells at the edge of the ulcer and mucosal repair and regeneration, metaplasia, and atypical hyperplasia. As time goes by, the possibility of canceration increases. For patients with gastric ulcer, they should pay more attention and stay away from risk factors that cause canceration.

At present, more than 1.5 million people die of cancer in my country every year, and one out of every five deaths is due to cancer. Among them, one out of every four patients who die of cancer is a gastric cancer patient, and the incidence of gastric cancer ranks first among all types of tumors in my country.

Symptom 1: Stomach pain

Most gastric cancer patients have stomach pain symptoms in the early stages of the disease. At first, they only feel discomfort in the upper abdomen or a feeling of distension and heaviness, and sometimes a dull pain in the heart. Therefore, patients often mistake it for gastritis or ulcer disease. The symptoms can be temporarily relieved after treatment.

Symptom 2: Loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue

Patients with loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue are also a common but non-specific early sign of gastric cancer. Loss of appetite without stomach pain may be an early manifestation of gastric cancer. If it occurs at the same time as stomach pain and hepatitis is ruled out, it should be taken seriously.

Symptom 3: Nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, blood in the stool

Patients with early-stage gastric cancer may also experience a feeling of fullness after eating and mild nausea. Patients with a tumor in the cardia may initially experience difficulty eating, followed by symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and food regurgitation. Patients with early-stage gastric cancer also often experience blood in the stool, which is caused by the lesion destroying the small blood vessels in the stomach.

Therefore, people should be reminded to pay attention to the prevention of gastric cancer in their daily lives. They should develop good eating habits, eat at regular times and quantitatively, eat less or no pickled vegetables and fried foods, and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. People at high risk must develop the habit of regular physical examinations to facilitate early detection and treatment.

Some patients think that they will not get gastric cancer after gastrectomy. In fact, it is not true. After the stomach is mostly or completely removed, it is still possible to develop residual gastric cancer. Therefore, gastric cancer patients should not take it lightly.