Signs And Symptoms Of Stomach Cancer

Blood In The Stool

It is very clear that stomach cancer can cause serious damage to the patient’s stomach, intestines, and esophagus. What many may not realize, however, is the linings of all of these get blood through many tiny blood vessels. These blood vessels are quite fragile and the cancerous cells may make them burst, releasing blood into the stomach and intestines. This blood isn’t reabsorbed from the stool, which means it instead leaves the body along with the stool. Thus, a key symptom of stomach cancer is seeing blood in the stool.

If the burst blood vessels occur in the first part of the digestive tract, the stool will often look like coffee grounds when it exits the body. The stool appears this way because the blood has time to clot before it leaves the body. Bright red blood is rarely seen in the stool due to stomach cancer. That is, unless the cancer has metastasized as in the last part of the large intestine.

Find out how the skin can show stomach cancer symptoms next.