As a recent patient for Stage 3 Stomach Cancer, I might chime in.
I had no ulcer symptoms. While stomach cancer is less frequently found in the west than is colon cancer there are still about 27,000 cases a year as I understand it. It was a major cause of elderly cancer death in the early 20th century in the west but has declined at a rate of 1.5% per year the last decade. Smoked and cured meats are as much a factor as h. pylori in the minds of most researchers although a solid causal relationship is not yet found.
I was not a big antacid user and had no symptoms until I began experiencing some anemia which I did not get diagnosed as early as I should have — I thought it was just age and not enough cardio. Tell your doctor everything you experience and don’t think you know it all. This tumor was probably inside and growing for over ten years.
Gastric cancer can easily spread to the abdominal cavity and easily jump over to the LIVER, the PANCREAS, the spleen and 25 +/- lymph nodes in the abdomen.
Four chemical cocktail of infusion chemo, followed by full stomach and related lymph node removals, followed by another course of chemo leaves me alive and tumor free, for now but few are that fortunate. Side effects with such strong chemo are extensive and various but I am alive and active in my 70s.
Ping
Continued good health, to you.
I am a long time antacid user (proton pump inhibitor). Been taking them for over twenty years. No ulcers, I’m aware of other effects of taking them long term, such as osteoporosis, which I do have. Thanks for putting this out there.