Stomach cancer may not cause symptoms in the early stages. Common symptoms are listed below. These symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions and do not necessarily mean that you have cancer. Speak with your general practitioner (GP) if you are concerned.
Stomach cancer symptoms
- unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
- difficulty swallowing
- indigestion – pain or burning sensation in the abdomen (heartburn), frequent burping, or stomach acid coming back up into the oesophagus (reflux)
- persistent nausea and/or vomiting (feeling or being sick) with no apparent cause
- abdominal (belly) pain
- feeling full after eating even a small amount
- swelling of the abdomen or feeling bloated
- unexplained tiredness, which may be due to low red blood cells (called anaemia)
- vomit that has blood in it
- black or bloody stools (poo).
→ READ MORE: Stomach cancer diagnosis
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Prof David I Watson, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Flinders University, and Senior Consultant Surgeon, Oesophago-Gastric Surgery Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Prof Bryan Burmeister, Senior Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay Hospital, QLD; Kieran Cahill, Consumer; Jessica Jong, Clinical Dietitian, Upper GI and Hepatobiliary Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; John Leung, Consumer; Prof Rajvinder Singh, Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide, and Director, Gastroenterology Department and Head of Endoscopy, Lyell McEwin Hospital, SA; Dr Sarah Sutherland, Medical Oncologist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Paula Swannock, Upper GI Cancer Nurse Consultant, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, VIC; Rebecca Yeoh, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Queensland.
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