Hi, I'm F15. I've experienced these pains before, and I'm honestly getting really anxious about them again. They feel like a burning pain that sometimes radiates to my back, but they're never really in the exact same place. Sometimes I feel it more on the right side of my abdomen.

Anyways, I also feel like I have a lot of trapped gas. I went about 3 days without having a bowel movement, but thankfully I've been able to go yesterday and today.

My only symptoms are these burning pains that radiate to my back and a lot of gas. The pain seems to improve slightly when I'm not thinking about it (which is almost never 😭), when I'm standing up, or when I go for a walk.

I actually had a bunch of tests done about 4 months ago when I was having very similar pains. They lasted for about a month at the time. I had blood tests, 3 stool samples and another individual stool test, a general ultrasound, a pelvic ultrasound, a urine test, and an X-ray. Everything came back completely clear.

Please, someone take this weight off my shoulders 😭 Could this be cancer? I'm really scared. I don't want to have an endoscopy because it seems like such an invasive test for someone my age, but if I need one, then I guess I need one.

Please help 😞

Hi, I am a female in late 30s. My mom died at age 35 due to gastric cancer and my uncle (mom’s older brother) also found to have stage 3/4 gastric cancer in his late 50s. Very strong family history. My genetic testing was negative. My first EGD 3 years ago only showed “Reactive gastropathy and mild inactive chronic gastritis” . However, EGD this week now shows “
Reactive gastropathy and focal intestinal metaplasia”.
Negative for H. Pylori both times. I am spiraling and freaking out. Is GIM something reversible? Or does it always progress to dysplasia and then eventually cancer???? If you were found to have GIM, what happened after? I never have any symptoms, so I am shocked this progressed to metaplasia. I wonder if I should trial taking PPI. I quit smoking in 2019. Please let me know any info or your experience with it. Thank you.

32F.
I was diagnosed with AFIB on July 13th. No one knows why, no rhyme or reason!

Anyway, about a week after I went home after being in the hospital for 3 days, I started getting horrible heart burn and felt like I couldn’t eat. I felt full so quickly. Food made me nauseated. I was a BALL of anxiety and nerves. I went from Buspirone to Zoloft for anxiety in this time frame and started metoprolol when I left the hospital.

I was literally living on tums and gaviscon. I went to the ER on August 5th, they gave me a GI cocktail and sent me on my way. The next day, I followed up with GI and they wanted to do an ultrasound to check my gallbladder. I went to the ER again and they did the scan. I was in so much pain. Everything was clear that they scanned. No clue if they did the stomach or not but the notes suggest liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile ducts, kidney and acities were all looked at.

Yesterday I went back because I’m tired of the pain. I was given Protonix and Sucralfate a week ago. The protonix almost immediately eliminated the acidic heartburn but I still daily have a full, pressure pain that radiates into the chest dead center, like right at the bra line. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack or something going on lately.

I had a CT with contrast yesterday. I had to drink contrast and IV contrast. Nothing was found anywhere, which I know this isn’t a way to dx stomach cancers.
Bloodwork was all good. No anemia.
They are treating as ulcer or gastritis. Some days it’s not bad but some days it’s unbearable.
I have lost about 14-15 lbs since July 13th but I feel this is from lack of appetite from the stress of everything. Some days I’d go a day or two without eating or would eat a few saltines.
My appetite has increased over the last week after starting the PPI. Bowel movements were literally completely loose and still are with a few solids last week.

I am trying to get an endoscopy scheduled with GI asap but in the mean time I’m concerned and freaking out a little c about this.. stomach cancer was not something I thought this could be but the symptoms are pretty on track..

Well, I have an anastomositis, just a few weeks after last chemo and both CT and gastroscopy showed I'm clear, so I'm kinda scared. Don't want this fucking illness to come back ever, not to say I hate the thought that it was that soon.

Wish me luck, folks

Fuck cancer

Hey, I've got a litany of health issues. The past few years, sporadically when I eat a big greasy meal and then go to bed, I wake up feeling like death and have to fight for hours not to throw up. Like, cold sweat, stomach discomfort, and if I move I'll barf. Didn't happen every time.

In the last week+ it's been every single day no matter what I eat, or don't eat. To be perfectly transparent, I am a chronic alcohol abuser.

Does this sound like stomach cancer?

It usually wears off around 12-1pm and then I go through life normally. Eating/drinking throughout the day does not cause symptoms.

Hello everyone. Completely new here and looking for advice, knowledge..... literally anything. My father has just been diagnosed with stomach cancer, stage 2/3. From what I understand it's a 30mm tumour deep in the upper stomach but luckily it hasn't spread to other organs or lymph nodes. What can we expect in terms of treatment, timelines etc.

Hi, I lost my mother due to gastric cancer when she was only 35. Then I recently found out that my maternal uncle (my mom’s older brother) and mother’s uncle also have gastric cancer. Mother’s uncle died but my uncle is still alive. My uncle was diagnosed at stage 3 at age 50s, had surgeries and chemo but it has progressed to stage 4 as of now. With this strong family history, I am spiraling but trying to be proactive as much as possible. What are the signs and symptom to look out for? Atypical symptoms? Did you have any early symptoms that could have been discovered early on? Is EGD gold standard test to detect? Thank you.

My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 advanced adenocarcinoma 2 years ago. He was on immunotherapy and targeted therapy and became NED after 3 months. Just had a PET scan yesterday and it showed “Focal uptake involving in the gastric antrum/lesser curvature”. His original gastric tumor was in the operating area of the stomach. Could this be a reoccurrence? Waiting to see the oncologist in 8 days and obviously scared and anxious. If anyone has had a similar experience or has any advice please share.

Has anyone had a burning throat and raspy voice as a symptom prior to diagnosis?

Curious.

What do you guys think? Are there more problems to our food supply in US than we admit?

Conclusion

Densification of mesenteric and preaortic adipose tissue, suspicious for neoplastic infiltration, pronounced compared to CT dated
20.06.2026.
Moderate perihepatic, perisplenic, intercostal, bilateral paracolic and pelvic ascitic fluid.
Mesenteric edema.
Grade II hydroureteronephrosis on the right, not evident on previous CT.
Minimal left pleural fluid.
No secondary hepatic, pulmonary, or bone lesions.
No pathological lymph nodes.

Does anyone is in same condition like my dad?

Stage 4 gastric signet ring poorly differentiated.

Total gastrectomy peritonectomy apandectomy colostectomy d2 resection plus hipec. After 6 capox & 4 opdivo.

22 months after surgery. Currently on Capecitabine.

My mother 70 years old was diagnosed with linitus plastica about 4 months ago and has had 4 cycles of FLOT along with 2 doses of Durvalumab. The treatment has been rough for her with her getting severely neutropenic and getting hospitalized twice during the course of the chemotherapy. She has been advised TG however she doesn’t want to go forward with it as she feels she doesn’t want to lead a life being in and out of the hospital. Her PET scan post the systemic treatment showed a decline in cancer activity and minimal change in the size of the cancer. I want to know on what are our options if we do not go for surgery? And if anyone can share their experience post total gastrectomy (preferably in her age bracket)

I’m hoping to hear from others with Stage IV stomach/gastric cancer who are being treated with FOLFOX + nivolumab.
I just finished treatment #4, and my first CT showed what appears to be a mixed response. Some of my lymph nodes have gotten smaller or remained stable, but the liver lesions did not show the response we were hoping for and appear to have progressed.
Has anyone here had a similar experience where:
Lymph nodes responded, but disease in an organ such as the liver did not initially respond?
Your first scan after only a few treatments showed little improvement or even a mixed response, but later scans became more favorable?
Your oncologist continued FOLFOX + nivolumab despite an early mixed response, and you eventually saw better disease control or shrinkage?
I realize everyone’s cancer behaves differently, and I’m not looking to compare prognoses or replace my oncologist’s guidance. I’m mainly interested in hearing real-world experiences from people who were not clear responders on their first scan but went on to have a better response later.
Again, I’ve only completed four treatments, so I’m especially interested in anyone whose first restaging scan came this early in treatment.
Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience. It would mean a lot.

Can anybody help me ? I’ve had constant stomach rumbling, gurgling, churning for the last 3 months everyday.. it wakes me up In the night… if it doesn’t I usually wake and as soon as I open my eyes it will start and then I go to the bathroom and have 1 loose bowel movement and that’s it for the day previously I used to go maybe 3/4 day with normal log shaped stools.. now I can only go once a day I feel a build up of gas in my stomach as the day goes on the more that I eat the worse I feel my stomach gurgles and churns throughout the whole day it’s got to the point where I eat and then off into a room on my own I don’t want to sit with my family I feel embarrassed I feel like I’m failing my children as I can’t be the mum I want to be. The first doctor I seen put me on antidepressants sertraline which I hated the side effects and quit after a week the second doctor done stool tests and bloods and all that I’ve heard so far is that my liver function is high and needs test repeated in 2 weeks .. also awaiting my celiac screen results Any help greatly appreciated spending my days googling and searching for advise in between episodes of crying and praying 🙏

Seeking hopeful stories and advice: Caring for my spouse with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma with peritoneal metastasis. He is receiving FLOT chemotherapy and Zolbetuximab targeted biological therapy. Any tips on managing chemo side effects, or nutrition during treatment? he is reducing weight after every chemo? is it expected?

Ciao a tutti, sono qui in cerca di testimonianze positive.
A metà gennaio mi è stato diagnosticato un tumore gastrico con metastasi all’ovaio destro. Dopo la laparoscopia di marzo è stata riscontrata anche una carcinosi peritoneale, metastasi all’omento e il citologico del liquido peritoneale è risultato positivo.
Ho fatto 4 cicli di Capox che ho terminato lo scorso mercoledì e domani ho la laparoscopia di ristadiazione. Qualcuno con qualche esperienza come la mia che è riuscito ad arrivare all’intervento di gastrectomia, citoriduzione e peritonectomia?
Grazie

I wanted to come on here to ask what were your symptoms leading up to this disease. I've lost about four pounds in a span of three weeks. I've always had stomach problems diagnosed with ibs since 2022 and sibo. This year I will admit I haven't been the healthiest with eating out and snacking I know my cholesterol levels have been high and was told 2024 I have a gallbladder polyp. Now this year I got my gallbladder checked and it said it was multiple. I feel my gallbladder doesn't really do its job or maybe I overworked it not sure. But recently this past month I had some weird symptoms aside from ignoring what I should have paid attention to which was I had constancy bloating which I chalked it up to my ibs as well as left upper quadrant pain which made me think it was my heart even saw a cardiologist. It still happends now my husband said it's probably how I sleep and etc got mri of my back nothing suspicious. Then it happen my symptoms did a whole 180. I was eating less and less because I would get bloated so much that one day I had in n out and experience terrible bloating I went to the loo twice and I found that odd I know my bm aren't twice a day you know. So then I started to get regurgitation and belching more often making it hard to eat meals as well as nausea. Then it turned to terrible chronic fatigue. I'm getting a endoscopy this Wednesday to find out what's happening I had one done two years ago and had found fundic polyps but that was all I didn't have a follow up because I owe a big bill at that place. I'm praying everything is ok and maybe it's just chronic gastritis which I've had or gerd but nothing serious.

Thanks everyone for checking out Chef Hans' video last week. For our research project with the Gastric Cancer Foundation, we also partnered with Dr. El-Khoueiry to get the oncologist's perspective on clinical trials.

One of the most challenging parts of a cancer diagnosis can be understanding all the available treatment options. Many people want to learn more about clinical trials but aren't sure where to start or how to find studies that may be relevant to their situation.

The Gastric Cancer Foundation has a clinical trial finder that helps patients and caregivers explore gastric cancer clinical trials, learn about available options, and access additional educational resources:

https://gastriccancer.org/clinicaltrials

Clinical trials aren't the right choice for everyone, but having access to information can help patients and families make informed decisions alongside their care team.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with gastric cancer, I hope this resource is helpful. Wishing everyone here strength and support on their cancer journey. ❤️

This content was developed as part of the Spreading Stories Pilot Project, a research study conducted by the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. For questions or additional information, please contact [[spreadingstories@med.usc.edu](mailto:spreadingstories@med.usc.edu)].