Gastric and oesophageal cancer and pernicious anaemia

[Firefly43]

Hello everyone, I am to have an endoscopy in a few days because I have just had pernicious anaemia (PA) and low iron and ferritin levels. I am interested in how many of you have PA prior to your cancer. If you would share your 4xperience with me it will help me a lot. Thank you.....Wendy

[HerIndoors]

Hi Firefly43

My husband's stomach cancer was discovered due to anemia. Over Christmas his legs swelled an incredible amount and when he visited the GP it was thought he could be having heart problems due to this leg swelling. Blood tests were done and it turned out that husband was so anemic his main organs were actually struggling to function and on the verge of shutting down. Result was, he had to have an emergency blood transfusion. The next step was to see why he was so anemic, loss of blood internally being the most obvious option, so he was booked in for an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. They did the endoscopy first and never bothered with the colonoscopy because they found a tumour that was bleeding profusely that they suspected was cancerous and after biopsies this was confirmed. The strange thing was husband never noticed anything strange with his fecal matter - it wasn't black or tarry like one would expect from internal bleeding, so the blood from the profuse bleeding was being absorbed along the way or was so diluted with stomach content that it didn't show in the end result.

The good thing about all this is because the tumour was bleeding so badly the cancer was found at a relatively early stage. Had the tumour not been bleeding husband would probably still not be aware of it because he had no other symptoms whatsoever.

Being a lady your anemia could be due to women's functions, but certainly in my opinion an endoscopy is well worth the belt and braces approach your doctor is taking. It could prove to show nothing, but then again it could be an early warning sign that could save your life. Good luck and fingers crossed for you the endoscopy ends up showing nothing untoward.

[Firefly43 in reply to HerIndoors]

Thank you for your reply Herindoors, I found it most interesting and informative. I'm glad your husband's cancer was found early but still just in time as his anemia was so severe. I will certainly have the investigations done as pernicious anemia as well as low iron, lack of appetite and a host of other things indicate that it needs to be done and soon.

My lady functions don't come into it because I am in my early seventies!

Thank you again and I wish your husband a good recovery.... Wendy

[Westoncromwell]

Hello Wendy

I had pernicious anaemia 6 and a half years ago. I was stage 3 and had a total removal of stomach. Fighting fit all these years on, just must get too horizontal while sleeping otherwise bile reflux.

Best wishes

Brian

[Firefly43]

Thank you Brian for your info, glad to hear you are well after what must have been an ordeal! I am aLos blood group A which apparently also disposes you to gastric cancer. Just interested in how many people have been diagnosed with gastric cancer after PA. are you blood group A by the way? Cheers, Wendy