A "rare" sign of cancer that appears in the eyes
One of the women's eyes revealed to doctors that she had fatal stomach cancer, which led to her death later, as reported by Russia Today.
Doctors said the 52-year-old woman suffered from stomach pain for three weeks and saw the whites of her eyes turn yellow before she sought medical help.
Medics working in the US and India wrote in the journal Cureus of Medical Sciences that the woman was unwell, had no appetite and felt more tired than usual.
Tests revealed that she had a deadly stomach cancer called gastric adenocarcinoma.
Stomach cancer treatment is more likely to be successful if the cancer is only in the stomach, according to the National Health Service (NHS).
However, in this case, the woman's cancer had grown so large that it had spread to her intestines, making it incurable.
The large tumor was pressing on the tube that carries digestive juices between the stomach and small intestine.
And it was this intestinal blockage that caused the woman's eyes to turn yellow - a condition known as jaundice.
This occurs when there is a buildup of a yellow substance called bilirubin.
It often occurs when people suffer from conditions such as gallstones or liver damage.
The doctors wrote in the report that yellowing of the eyes is the "rare" first symptom of stomach cancer.
The woman underwent surgery to help relieve her symptoms, but not to treat the cancer.
She was later released from hospital but refused further chemotherapy and died two months later, according to the report.
There are eight common symptoms of stomach cancer. Symptoms of stomach cancer can depend on where the cancer cells grow and multiply in the stomach. According to the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of stomach cancer may include:
heartburn
Feeling full after eating small portions of food
- stomach pain
Nausea
- Indigestion
Unintentional weight loss
Feeling bloated after eating
- Difficulty swallowing
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