It’s something none of us want to think about, but cancer affects as many as 1 in 2 people in their lifetime in the UK.

And one of the most dangerous cancers is stomach cancer, both because of low survival rates and being quite difficult to spot because the symptoms are so often overlooked, ignored, or mistaken for something else for so long.

According to Cancer Research UK, just 50% of people with stomach cancer will survive for one year or more, and only 15% will live another 10 years.

It says: “Around 6,500 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK each year. The number of people in the UK diagnosed with stomach cancer has fallen since the early 1990s. 

“Stomach cancer is more common in older people. Around 50 out of 100 cases (around 50%) occur in people aged 75 or over. It is more common in men than women.

“Many stomach cancers are linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, including diet. Stomach cancer is linked with a bacteria that lives in the stomach called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori). But not everyone with H.pylori will develop stomach cancer.”

With such a difficult survival outlook, it’s important to get diagnosed as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of survival.

According to the NHS, there are several possible symptoms of cancer “but they might be hard to spot”.

It says: “There are many possible symptoms of stomach cancer, but they might be hard to spot.

They can affect your digestion, such as:

• heartburn or acid reflux

• having problems swallowing (dysphagia)

• feeling or being sick

• symptoms of indigestion, such as burping a lot

• feeling full very quickly when eating

The health service says if you have problems swallowing, have lost a noticeable amount of weight, or have the other above symptoms of stomach cancer which don’t improve after 3 weeks, you should see a GP. But if you’re sick for two days or more, call 111.

It adds: “These symptoms are very common and can be caused by many different conditions. Having them does not definitely mean you have stomach cancer.

“But it's important to get them checked by a GP. This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early makes it more treatable.”