16 Possible Warning Signs of Cancer that People Too Often Ignore

Doctors emphasize the importance of paying attention to warning signs and symptoms that might indicate undiagnosed cancer. Early detection of this disease increases the chances of successful treatment.

 Although the warning signs and symptoms in this post might not necessarily mean cancer in all cases, you shouldn’t neglect them. Instead, analyze the signs and symptoms you do experience, and then visit your doctor.

There are over 200 cancer types, the most common types include lung, prostate, breast, ovarian, bladder, colorectal, kidney (renal), pancreatic, and endometrial cancers as well as melanoma and leukemia.. For most of these types of cancer, the survival rate is poor, especially for lung cancer. 

The reason is the late detection when the cancer is already in advanced stage, which impedes the treatment process.

Do not ignore the following 16 signs. They do not necessarily indicate cancer, but it is important to analyze them and see your doctor as soon as possible.

1. Unexplained Weight Loss

This is one of the initial noticeable cancer signs, especially for solid tumor cancers like lung and breast cancer. Once the cancer reaches the liver and disrupts its functioning associated with removing toxins and regulating appetite, it causes weight loss. But this can as well be a warning sign of digestive types of cancer, like colon cancer.

40% of all cancer patients report this warning sign at the time of diagnosis up to 80% of advanced cancer cases are experiencing cachexia (general ‘wasting’) and unexplained weight loss

Losing weight by watching your diet or exercising is normal. In all other cases, losing up to 10% of your weight, or up to 10 pounds a month in a 6-month span is likely a cause for concern.

2. Fatigue and Weakness

If your fatigue and weakness don’t disappear even when you rest or get more sleep, consult your doctor ASAP since it might be a warning symptom of many cancers.

3. Frequent Fevers or Infections

Fever might be the result where your body is fighting an infection. However, if your experience fever frequently, it could be a sign of cancer. Lymphoma and leukemia can cause symptoms like fatigue, aches, fevers and other flu-like symptoms signs.

4. Shortness of Breath or Wheezing

There are several condition that might cause wheezing and shortness of breath. But other than the possibility of heart disease, you also need to consider the possibility of lung cancer if you experience this condition. The tumor in the lung that presses against the airway may cause wheezing due to limited airways.

5. Chronic cough and Chest Pain

Bad cough and bronchitis can be symptoms of cancers, such as lung tumors and leukemia. Another symptom that often occurs alongside these ones is the chest pain that can extend into the shoulder or down the arm. Therefore if you experience any of these symptoms you should immediately visit your doctor.

If you are a smoker or you have smoked in the past, and you are having cough and hoarse voice for more than 6 months, you should definitely visit your doctor. In many cases, a hoarse voice may be a symptom of laryngeal, thyroid, esophageal or lung cancer.

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6. Bloating

Frequent bloating for no apparent reason and over a longer period of time, might indicate ovarian cancer, especially if it is accompanied by swelling in the abdomen, pelvic pain, and feeling of fullness. Similarly, bloating or pain in the stomach after eating might indicate a stomach cancer.

7. Chronic Heartburn

Usually, heartburn is a sign of acid reflux. However, persistent heartburn might be related to esophageal cancer or Barrett’s esophagus. 

There was a study published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology in May 2012 that reveal how inflammation of the tissue lining in the esophagus resulting by chronic heartburn could increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Another study that was conducted by a researcher at Rhode Island Hospital and published in the American Journal of Cell Physiology in 20013 found that there’s a relation between Barrett’s esophagus and the development of esophageal cancer.

8. Bowel Issues

If you feel that there’s something wrong with your bowel habit that happened for about a month without any obvious reason, then you need to consult to your doctor since that may a sign of bowel cancer.

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9. Difficulty Swallowing

Problems with swallowing, or feeling chunks of food stuck in your chest or throat that worsen with time, might indicate throat or esophageal cancer. Other warning signs of these types of cancer include burning sensation or pain when swallowing food. In most cases, esophageal cancer doesn’t show any initial symptoms, so don’t ignore these if they do appear. Problems with swallowing can also be one of the initial warning signs of lung cancer.

10. Jaundice

Jaundice is a condition where someone experience yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Usually it happened because of liver or gallbladder disease. However, this may also a symptom of pancreatic cancer interfering with the bile duct and liver.

11. Unusual Swelling or Lumps

Any unusual lumps on the groin, neck, underarm, breasts, abdomen, or any other parts of the body should be thoroughly checked by a doctor, especially if these lumps last for three weeks or more.

Usually, an enlarged lymph node or lump under the arm can be a symptom of breast cancer. Also the inflammatory breast cancer is often indicated by sore, swollen and red breasts.

12. New or Changing Moles or Skin Spots

Normally, changes on your skin doesn’t indicate any health problem. However if you found a new spot, growth, or sore that won’t heal, then you need to consider screening for cancer. The same thing goes if there’s a change in color, border, diameter, or symmetry of an existing mole.

13. Nail Changes

Several types of cancer, such as liver, skin or lung cancer, can be indicated by some unusual changes in your fingernails.

• Black or brown spots under your nails may indicate skin cancer.
• Clubbing of the fingers or the toes (enlarged ends of the nails) could be associated with lung cancer. In other words diseases that reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood cause this problem.
• Poor liver functioning, can be indicated by pale or white nails. White or pale nails can appear due to various diseases including liver cancer.

14. Abdominal or Pelvic Pain

Lower abdominal or pelvic pain following pelvic heaviness and changes in bowel habits may indicate ovarian cancer. The chances of developing this cancer are higher in

• Women with a family history of ovarian cancer, colorectal or breast cancer
• Women who have never been pregnant
• Women diagnosed with breast, uterine or rectal cancer [coloncancer

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15. Unusual Pain Lasting Longer than 4 Weeks

Pains and aches can be caused by numerous reasons. However, pain occurring for no apparent reason which comes and go, or stays for a period of 4 weeks or more, needs to be checked by a doctor as it may indicate testicular or bone cancer.

16. Abnormal Bleeding

Abnormal bleeding can be a sign of certain cancer. Therefore:

• Blood in your urine, which is sometimes a symptom of a urinary tract infection, can be caused by bladder or kidney cancer.
• Blood in stools, a common sight among those who have hemorrhoids, can be a symptom of bowel cancer.
• Bleeding between periods or after menopause may indicate endometrial or uterine cancer.
• Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract may be a sign of colorectal cancer.
• Vomiting blood and coughing up blood may be signs of stomach or esophageal cancer and lung cancer, respectively.

You should keep an eye on the symptoms mentioned above and get regular health check-ups.

Better safe than sorry!

Source: worldofhealth365

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