“1 Black, 1 Fishy, 2 Reductions” may sound meaningless, but they are warning signs of sto.mach can.cer

Aside from stomach pain, stomach cancer comes with many other symptoms. Unfortunately, people often overlook them, only realizing when it’s too late.

Stomach cancer is one of the most dangerous gastrointestinal cancers. If detected late, malignant tumors can spread and metastasize. Those with a family history of the disease, chronic atrophic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking habits, or poor diets are at higher risk.

The concerning part is that the disease often progresses silently, with symptoms easily mistaken for common digestive disorders. In addition to abdominal pain, doctors warn to pay special attention to the group of symptoms described as “1 Black, 1 Fishy, 2 Reductions” listed below, as they may serve as early warning signals of stomach cancer.

1 Black: Black stools

Observing stool color is a simple yet telling way to reflect health conditions. For stomach cancer patients, stools often turn black, accompanied by dizziness, rapid heartbeat, thirst, pale skin, or even fainting. The reason is that tumors in the stomach cause bleeding, and as blood travels down to the intestines, it breaks down, giving stools their characteristic black color.

This is different from temporary black stools caused by eating animal liver, blood pudding, or taking iron or bismuth supplements, which usually don’t come with discomfort. Black stools linked to cancer often persist and are associated with clear fatigue. This is an early warning from the body, but sadly many people ignore it.

1 Fishy: Unusually fishy-smelling flatulence

Flatulence naturally has an unpleasant odor, but if it carries an unusually strong, fishy smell similar to rotten seafood, it’s a red flag. Experts explain this occurs when accumulated blood in the stomach is broken down by stomach acid and gut bacteria, producing a distinctive odor. Patients often also experience bloating, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss.

As the tumor develops, cancerous tissue erodes and bleeds. The combination of decomposed blood and bacterial fermentation makes flatulence even more foul-smelling. This is rare in healthy people, even those who eat a lot of seafood. Therefore, if you notice persistent abnormal flatulence with a fishy odor, it’s best to get checked to rule out stomach cancer.

2 Reductions: Weight loss and loss of appetite

Sudden, unexplained weight loss is a serious red flag. If you are neither dieting nor exercising yet still lose 4–5 kg within a few months, it could indicate an illness. In stomach cancer, weight loss is often accompanied by abdominal pain after meals, indigestion, bowel irregularities, and increasing fatigue.

When a tumor forms, the stomach gradually loses its ability to contract and digest food. Food becomes harder to grind down and move to the small intestine, leaving the patient feeling full quickly, bloated, or even nauseous. Meanwhile, cancer cell invasion leads to ulcers and bleeding, draining energy and impairing nutrient absorption, which causes continuous weight loss.

Along with weight loss, a sharp decline in appetite is another typical symptom. Patients often lose interest in food, even their favorite dishes, because tumors and inflammation keep the stomach in constant discomfort. Prolonged appetite loss leads to exhaustion, a weakened immune system, and, more worryingly, is among the early signals of stomach cancer that many people dismiss.