The oncologist spoke about the possibility of late-stage cancer being asymptomatic

Advanced-stage cancer can be diagnosed in a patient who has not previously experienced pronounced symptoms, as many tumors develop latently for a long time. Ruslan Basanov, PhD, oncologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), told Izvestia about this on March 17.

"In a number of tumors (breast, colon, lung, stomach, and other cancers), the early stages can be either completely asymptomatic or with minimal, "vague" complaints — mild fatigue, moderate weakness, slight weight loss, minor changes in stool or habitual digestion, which the patient himself attributes to stress, age, job, or "stomach problems." Many solid tumors give a pronounced clinic only when neighboring organs are already involved and distant metastases have appeared," the specialist noted.

He stressed that the stage of the oncological process is determined not by the suddenness, but by the degree of its prevalence at the time of detection. That is why regular screening plays a key role in modern medicine, including mammography, colonoscopy and computed tomography for at-risk groups.

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Basanov also noted that a blood test cannot serve as a universal way to detect cancer. According to him, laboratory parameters can only indirectly indicate a problem in the body. Cancer markers are used primarily to monitor an already established diagnosis and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, rather than for primary diagnosis. Final confirmation is possible only with a comprehensive examination, including imaging and biopsy, Basanov stressed.

The specialist paid special attention to the diagnosis of stomach cancer. The main method of detecting the disease remains endoscopic examination with biopsy, which makes it possible to accurately determine the nature of mucosal changes.

"In the early stages, the disease often proceeds without pronounced symptoms or is manifested by nonspecific complaints such as decreased appetite, discomfort after eating, heartburn, or a slight weight loss. At later stages, pain, vomiting, anemia and signs of intoxication appear," the oncologist explained.

The expert noted that in the presence of prolonged dyspeptic symptoms, especially in patients over 40 years of age or with risk factors, it is necessary to undergo timely examination. Early detection of the disease directly affects the prognosis, whereas postponing a visit to the doctor and attempts at self-diagnosis can significantly worsen the outcome of treatment.

Oncologist Evgeny Cheremushkin said on March 16 that proper nutrition can restrain the background development of stomach cancer. The expert noted that proper nutrition in itself is a useful factor. According to him, it can only restrain the background development of cancer.

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