Bloating after a meal, vague indigestion, or feeling full too quickly are so common in India that most people barely pause before reaching for an antacid. But cancer specialists caution that our cultural habit of normalizing digestive discomfort may be masking something far more dangerous: in a small but significant number of cases, these symptoms can be early signs of stomach (gastric) cancer.

According to the ICMR–National Cancer Registry Programme (2022), stomach cancer remains one of India’s most prevalent malignancies among the top five cancers in men and top ten in women. The burden is highest in India’s northeast, Tamil Nadu, and the Kashmir valley. And while traditionally considered a disease of older adults, oncologists are now diagnosing patients in their late 30s and early 40s,

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