Gastric carcinoma, known also as stomach cancer, is a tumor that occurs in the lining of the stomach. It is hard to cure gastric cancer since it is often diagnosed in an advanced stage.
Gastric cancer is a malign stomach tumor. It is most commonly diagnosed after the age of 50. However, about 10% of all cases occur at the age between 30 and 40. Gastric cancer develops more often because of familial predisposition, chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, bacterial colonisation of helicobacter pylori, conditions that cause an excess of gastric acids, or benign gastric tumors. Persons consuming too much salt and cured food are also at a greater risk. Raw fruits and vegetables as well as wholemeal bread may reduce the risk.
The early stages of gastric cancer cause no symptoms; they are usually detected with a gastroscopy. In very rare cases, early stages located near the cardia may cause difficulty in swallowing. Advanced stages can cause fullness, pressure in the upper abdomen, fatigue, weight loss, performance weakness and anaemia, sudden aversion to certain food (especially meat) and occult stool.
Patients who are complaining about discomfort of the upper abdomen for a prolonged period of time should get a gastroscopy, especially if they are older than 50, to rule out gastric cancer. If the tissue sample taken during the gastroscopy confirms gastric cancer, treatment will usually be partial or complete removal of the stomach. In advanced stages, chemotherapy might be indicated prior to the surgery, to reduce the tumor. Structures often affected by metastases (lymph nodes, fat layers of large and small intestines) will be removed as well. Survival time depends on the tumor stage and operability. In early stages, the 5-year survival rate is 95%, in advanced stages and metastases only 10%.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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