Bloating can also be a sign of other cancers, like breast, pancreatic, colon, and stomach cancer if cancer appears along the lining of the abdominal cavity, said Dr. Cobb.
Bloating
Persistently feeling bloated and full is one of the most common early signs of ovarian cancer. And bloating accompanied by abdominal distension (visible swelling in your stomach) could be a red flag that there is a problem.
Bloating is one of the most common and noticeable signs of advanced ovarian cancer. Due to a buildup of fluid (ascites), a woman's belly can become swollen and distended.
Pancreatic cancer can cause digestive problems, which may cause gas and bloating. Pancreatic cancer can also cause ascites, the build-up of extra fluid in the abdomen. This causes the belly to swell and stretch out.
Cancer can sometimes cause swelling of the tummy (abdomen) due to a build up of fluid. The medical name for a build up of fluid in the abdomen is ascites (pronounced ay-site-eez). A swollen tummy can be very uncomfortable but a doctor can drain the fluid to make you more comfortable.
If your bloating is accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, then it might be a serious problem. Regularly occurring bloating that doesn't improve with lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals or avoiding certain foods, may also point to a more serious issue.
Symptoms of stage 1 stomach cancer may include abdominal discomfort, indigestion, nausea, and bloating. At this stage, doctors typically recommend treatment with surgery to remove all or part of the stomach. They may follow this with chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Stomach cancer often starts when cells that were once healthy begin growing out of control in the mucosa of the stomach lining. This collection of cancerous cells is known as a tumor, and over time these cells spread into other layers of the stomach.
Stomach cancer can present itself in several different ways, such as difficulty swallowing, feeling bloated after eating, feeling full after only eating a small amount of food, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, unintentional weight loss, and vomiting.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. This can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat. It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as: constipation.
Who gets stomach cancer? Stomach cancer mostly affects older people. The average age of people when they are diagnosed is 68. About 6 of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older.
Stomach cancer occurs most often in the age group from 50 to 70 years and more often concerns men [1–3]. The percentage of gastric cancer in patients under 40 years old is estimated at a level of 2% to 8%.
The bottom part of the stomach is connected to the small intestine called the duodenum. Stomach cancer (adenocarcinoma) can occur anywhere in the stomach, but most often arises from the cells making up the mucus membrane lining the stomach (mucus-producing cells).
“When it's accompanied by red-flag symptoms—vomiting, blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, yellowing of eyes or skin—those are signs of a more urgent and serious disorder,” she says. Liver disease or an obstruction of the GI tract can cause bloating accompanied by some of these red-flag symptoms.
Bloating That Doesn't Go Away
"If bloating is persistent and does not vary with changing eating habits or bowel movements, it is a good idea to seek medical care," added Alex Hewlett, DO, associate professor of medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
These can be caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli or Helicobacter pylori — or a viral infection such as norovirus or rotavirus. Stomach infections usually go away on their own after a few days.
For example, tests to measure your liver health might show problems caused by stomach cancer that spreads to the liver. Another type of blood test looks for pieces of cancer cells in the blood. This is called a circulating tumor DNA test. It's only used in certain situations for people with stomach cancer.
As the cancer progresses, the symptoms that do appear can be misdiagnosed as normal gastrointestinal issues. As a result, stomach cancer can go undetected for years before the symptoms become concerning enough to warrant diagnostic testing.
Ultrasound may be used if fluid is found in your abdomen. Ultrasound produces images of organs from high-energy sound waves and echoes to help your care team detect and stage stomach cancer. It may also be used to check for tumors that have spread to other organs.
What is stage 1 stomach cancer? Stage 1 stomach cancer usually means that your cancer hasn't spread beyond the thick muscle in the stomach wall. It means your cancer hasn't spread to nearby lymph nodes if the doctors stage you using scans and tests (clinical staging).
Sometimes cancer or its treatment causes too much gas in the digestive system, making you pass wind more often than usual. Several things can make wind worse. These include: eating certain high fibre foods.