The Gut Cancer Foundation (GCF) is encouraging people to let go of their shyness, and talk to their GP if they have any worries about symptoms or how they’re feeling. The GCF reports that while stomach cancer has been thought to be an older person’s illness, some younger people, particularly men in their 30s, have reached out to the GCF to seek support for their stomach cancer battles and share their experiences of diagnosis and treatment.
Liam Willis, Executive Officer at GCF, says, “You know your body and your ‘normal’ better than anyone, and if you feel something isn’t right, find a GP that you trust and persist until you get to the bottom of your symptoms and what’s going on.
“There remain considerable inequities in stomach cancer occurrence and outcomes for Māori and Pasifika peoples, and medical researchers and practitioners are working hard to address these. However, it is important to remember this is a disease that could affect anyone and that we are all aware of the signs, symptoms and any family history that may predispose us to this disease.
“Many of the younger people we’ve talked to in the past year have told us getting their diagnosis was hard because when people are thought to be too young for cancer, their symptoms are sometimes dismissed or mistakenly attributed to other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. If diagnostic procedures such as gastroscopy, which can show any abnormalities in the stomach, aren’t done, and there are more serious issues at play, treatment can be more prolonged, complicated, or hard to recover from than when problems are picked up at an earlier stage.
Associate Professor Sharon Pattison, Chair of the Gut Cancer Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee says, “GCF is raising awareness about the difference between a little niggle, such as an upset stomach that passes quickly, and signs that something might be very wrong, such as persistent nausea or vomiting, or stool (poo) that is black, which may indicate the presence of blood.
“We know bodily functions can be uncomfortable to talk about, but part of the ‘don’t be whakamā’ message is to advocate for yourself or your loved one. As those sharing their stories are teaching us, no one is immune, and everyone has the right to timely healthcare and attention from the medical community if they are presenting with symptoms that are not their normal. Stomach cancer doesn’t just affect New Zealanders who are older than 60 – younger people can be affected, and the earlier people are diagnosed, the better their prognosis is likely to be.
“The best thing people can do is check in with and talk to one another – the more we discuss our bodies and health, the less shy and more informed we get. If someone you know needs a check-up, offer to go with them or help them prepare their questions for the doctor. Help them record their symptoms so there’s nothing they forget to report.
GCF will keep working to shift the dial and help generate conversation and awareness across New Zealand. To find out how people can help raise awareness, head to https://www.gutcancer.org.nz/stomach-cancer/
Fact Sheet
- Symptoms to look out for – when you should see your GP:
- a painful or burning sensation in the abdomen
- heartburn or indigestion (dyspepsia)
- a sense of fullness, even after a small meal
- nausea and/or vomiting
- loss of appetite and/or weight loss
- swelling of the abdomen
- unexplained tiredness or weakness
- low iron levels, red blood count/ anaemia
- blood in vomit
- black-coloured stool
- Although incidence rates of stomach cancer are reducing globally, overall survival rates remain among the poorest for all cancers, with just 29 percent of patients surviving beyond five years after diagnosis.[1]
- The Cancer Control Agency State of the Nation Report also identified stomach cancer as one of the cancers with the highest disparity in both incidence and outcomes between Māori and non-Māori.
- There are stubbornly high rates of stomach cancer in in Māori and Pasifika communities. While stomach cancer among Pākehā and Asian populations in New Zealand is declining, the overall rate of occurrence among Māori and Pacific peoples remains significantly higher (62 percent) than the population average (18 percent) – and three times greater than people of European ethnicity.
- The two types of stomach adenocarcinomas account for around 95 percent of all stomach cancers: diffuse-type stomach cancer and intestinal-type stomach cancer. Of the two, diffuse-type stomach cancer, tends to be more aggressive, and Māori are among the few populations in the world for which diffuse-type is more common than intestinal-type. This is partly attributable to inherited CDH1 genetic variants discovered in some whānau.
[1] https://teaho.govt.nz/static/reports/state-of-cancer-in-new-zealand-2020%20(revised%20March%202021).pdf
