North Fairfax News

Symptoms and Screenings for Cancers of the Stomach, Esophagus and Liver

Arthur Winer, MD, is a specialty care physician at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. Dr. Winer is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology. He is a practicing gastrointestinal medical oncologist and has clinical interests in colorectal, esophageal, gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic cancers.

When it comes to symptoms and screenings, the most common forms of cancer of the liver, stomach and esophagus have several similarities and some key differences.

But the most obvious similarity is that, for the general U.S. population*, there is no screening recommendation for any of those cancers (*There are screening recommendations for adults in certain other parts of the world, where diet or exposure can increase risk for some of these cancers). Men with an average risk for colon cancer are counseled to begin screenings at age 45, and women with an average risk for breast cancer are recommended to start annual mammograms at age 40.

There’s no parallel with liver, stomach or esophageal cancer for the general population given that these cancers are not as common, although some patients with risk factors may be recommended for screening.

But it’s important for patients to recognize the symptoms that would prompt a screening for these diseases and what the screenings entail. That is what I will cover in this post.

Original source can be found here