Symptoms of stomach cancer

Last medical review:

Stomach cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumour grows bigger and spreads to surrounding areas or other organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as stomach cancer.

The signs or symptoms of stomach cancer include:

  • pain or discomfort in the abdomen (indigestion)
  • heartburn (a burning feeling deep in the chest)
  • loss of appetite
  • feeling full, even after eating a small meal
  • bloating in the abdomen
  • nausea or vomiting (may include blood)
  • blood in the stool (poop)
  • anemia
  • fatigue and weakness
  • swallowing problems
  • buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
  • yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

Expert review and references

  • American Cancer Society . Stomach Cancer Early Detection, Diagnosis and Staging . 2014 : https://www.cancer.org/.
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) . Cancer.Net: Stomach Cancer. 2020: https://www.cancer.net/.
  • Avital I, Nissan A, Golan T, Lawrence YL, Stojadinovic A. Cancer of the stomach. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2018: 53:762–796.
  • National Cancer Institute. Gastric Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version. National Institutes of Health; 2018: https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • OncoLink. All About Gastric Cancer. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; https://www.oncolink.org/. Thursday, January 17, 2019.