How likely is stomach cancer?

[Redchairglitter]

I had a clear endoscopy last june. I’ve had loss of appetite since. Past 2 weeks I’ve had chest pain, I can’t eat, stomach pain when I eat even a bowl of cereal, upper stomach pain, nausea, hiccups, wretching when i try to eat.

could it be stomach or oesophageal cancer?

It could be that yes, but it could equally be something like Barrett's oesophagus. You need to go back to the GP, mention the weight loss and they should put you on the 2 week pathway. xx

I have all those symptoms and just had a gastroscopy that was completely normal

Even though I had a clear endoscopy last year?

Can you eat? What do they say it is?

If you've had worsened symptoms since then, yes, I would think so.

Mine was diagnosed about 4 years ago after 4 months of weight loss, vomiting, really appalling IBS and just raging indigestion. Since then I've had another endoscopy and they have now taken me off the 3 yearly ones, as there was no evidence of BO in the second one, I assume due to being on so much omeprazole and also using gaviscon whenever the symptoms were too bad. I was advised to take the liquid gaviscon or peptac after every meal when the symptoms were bad and before and after every meal and drink when really bad. I also avoid coffee and tea when bad and have stopped caffeine completely.
Good luck OP. x

I literally just got out the appointment. I need to go back to GP next week.

I get pain straight after eating. I get less pain in between meals than I was before.
I can't eat much at a time and I am so nauseous

You have stomach cancer?

you could have anything at any time. if worried go back to your gp. absolutely no one can say what you have or haven’t got over the internet!

Yes it could.
Or cancer of something else.
Or a whole host of other things that are not cancer.
Fwiw I think the not cancer explanations are more likely.

It is not possible to have developed oesophagogastric cancer within a year of a normal OGD

OP, no, I have Barrett's.

Isn’t it? Why? This was June.

Sorry I got confused. Are your symptoms manageable?

An abnormal area of metaplasia or polyp would have been seen last time

How do you know that? Are you in medicine x

I am an upper GI surgeon

Thank you. So you think it’s almost impossible to be a gastric or oesophageal cancer after a clear OGD 9 months ago? What could my long term loss of appetite and most recent symptoms of chest pain and stomach pain after eating, trouble swallowing and loss of appetite be?

I am not going to attempt to give you a diagnosis over the internet.
I just wanted to put your mind at rest over the weekend.

My DH had this and was diagnosed with gastritis over the phone by GP. Weeks of gaviscon and ameprozol which made little to no difference. Eventually out of hours doc sent him to hospital. Chest Xray and CT showed he had pneumonia and pleurisy. He was in hospital for 3 weeks on i/v antibiotics and chest drain, recovery at home took some months.

If you're worried OP, keep pushing for investigations. Don't be fobbed off, doctors can and do make mistakes.

Sounds like reflux or gerd.

Hi OP, they go through periods of being a bit poop (like right now) so I then tend to have some days of pain, sometimes very bad, through the omeprazole, but for most of the time now I would say it's fine. When bad I have to be careful about leaning backwards in a chair, esp. in the evenings and tend to lean forwards over a low coffee table instead to watch telly...it really helps. Alcohol, caffeine, tea and coffee can all make it worse, but overall I can definitely cope with it. It also kicks off it my IBS is bad and then I go back to low FODMAP diet foods for a week or so and it helps.

Long way of saying, yes, manageable.

Or could be stress/anxiety induced symptoms.

Go back to the GP. When you had the endoscopy they should have told you that it’s not 100% accurate (things can be missed) and to return if your symptoms change. It’s policy to mention this when you sign consent for the procedure in the trust I work in precisely to prevent people from hesitating to get in touch with the GP if new symptoms present.

What what’s what so I’ve got stomach cancer

There are many conditions it could be without being stomach cancer. Most are pretty innocuous and and manageable by lifestyle, diet and/or medication if you have health anxiety you will jump to extremes with little evidence and that makes such symptoms worse,