Cancer is a disease that comes with very few visible symptoms. It is always good to have it detected early before it spreads to others parts of the body. It is curable if diagnosed in its initial stages. There are cancer symptoms that you should not ignore, and that means you see need your doctor for immediate cancer screening. It will help you start treatment on time or even prevent the disease.
Frequent Fevers
Fever occurs when cancer has affected your immune system and you keep getting infections. It is a sign of leukemia or lymphoma, which begins in the marrow. Leukemia causes production of abnormal blood cells that sap the capabilities of your body to fight infections. Early detection will help combat the disease.
Fatigue
Extreme fatigue that will not go away even after a good rest is symptom that your body needs cancer screening. It is a sign of many cancers including colon cancers, leukemia and stomach cancer. You should not ignore general weakness and fatigue that does not respond after long hours of good sleep.
Pain
Some cancers such as testicular cancer and bone cancer cause pain. A consistent headache that does not go away after taking pain killers is likely to be a sign of a brain tumor. Back pain may be a sign of ovary or colon cancer.
Skin changes
Moles, warts and freckles that appear to change in size, color or shape may be a sign of melanoma and other skin cancer types. You should also look out for dark parts on the skin, yellow eyes or jaundice, reddened skin, excessive growth of hair or itching.
Changed Bladder and Bowel Habits
If you experience diarrhea, change in stool size and sudden broken stool, it could be a sign of rectal or colon cancer. You should also check out for any traces of blood in the urine or changes in frequency to relive yourself. Prostate and bladder cancers can cause these symptoms.
Non-healing Sores
Sores are a sign of cancer; they bleed and don’t get better after treatment. If you have such a sore in the mouth, it may be a sign of oral cancer. This is common in people who chew tobacco, drink alcohol and smoke. Other sores also occur on your genital area and if they do not get better after you are treated for STDs, you need to talk your doctor about a cancer screening test.
White spots and patches on the tongue and the mouth
If your mouth has white patches and white spots on the tongue, you may have leukoplakia. This is a sign of cancer that occurs due to frequent irritation. If not treated on time, it can cause mouth cancer. This problem is common in tobacco users but not limited to them.
Unusual bleeding
If you cough up blood you could have lung cancer. Blood in your stool, which makes your stool look very dark, is a symptom of colon cancer. Women who suddenly start experiencing heavy bleeding may have endometrial cancer or cervical cancer. Traces of blood in your urine could be an indication that you have kidney cancer or bladder cancer. Any bloody discharge that you see coming from your nipple must be reported to your doctor. It is one of the few signs of breast cancer.
**Lump **
Many cancers may start as a lump especially in the breast, lymph node or glands, testicles and other parts of the body with soft tissues. If you see thickened or red skin that looks like a lump on your breast, you need to see your doctor immediately.
Difficulty in swallowing and indigestion
Swallowing foods should not be a problem, but when you start experiencing difficulties, you should talk to your doctor immediately. It is a sign of throat or lung cancer. Indigestion problems are also a sign of stomach or esophagus cancer. Let your doctor if you are experiencing any of these problems.
Nagging cough
There are a number of cancers that start like a cough and just won’t go away even after numerous treatments. Lung cancer is one of them, but most patients also report pain in the chest and on the shoulder or down your arm. If the coughing is accompanied by hoarseness, you could have thyroid gland cancer or voice box cancer.
Bruising and excessive bleeding
These two signs show that red blood cells and platelets have a problem. It may be a sign of leukemia. The leukemia cells impair the blood’s ability to clot after they outnumber the red blood cells. You need a quick check up to rule out leukemia of you wake up with unexplained bruises.
Bloating and fullness around the midsection
Most women who experience bloating and fullness in the stomach are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They do not feel like eating even after spending hours without eating. If you start experiencing bloating suddenly and it does not go away, you may have ovarian cancer.
Unwanted weight loss
Losing over 10 pounds without trying is a red flag. It is an early sign for colon cancer and pancreas cancer. Sudden weight loss also shows that the cancer may have affected your liver, therefore suppressing your appetite because the body cannot remove waste effectively.
Swollen Face
Puffiness and redness are a common sign of lung cancer. The lung tumors have small cells that block sufficient blood circulation in the chest and that prevents proper flow of blood on the face. You should not ignore any swollen feature of you face as it could a sign of cancer.
Changes in Fingernails
Any unexplained changes on your nails could be a sign of cancer. If you have a black or brown dot or streak under your nail, it may be a sign of skin cancer. There is also the latest sign where nails become enlarged at the end and they curve down on the tips and it indicates lung cancer. White or pale nails are also a sign that all is not well with your liver.
Back pain on lower right side
Many people admit that this is one the signs that made them seek medical attention only be diagnosed with liver cancer. Breast cancer is also associated with back pain and it occurs when a tumor in the breast presses towards the back. It could also be a sign that cancer has spread to ribs and the spine.
Sweating heavily at night
A lot of sweating at night is caused by used of some medication or infections. It is also common in women who are undergoing menopause. However, when you wake up drenching in sweat at night, it may a sign of cancer. You need to see you doctor for a check up.
Sudden low blood count
People are diagnosed with anemia if they have low blood count. It is a condition that must be investigated to know it main cause as you could have cancer. Most cancers cause anemia as they cause ongoing blood loss. Bowel cancers are one of the many cancers that are likely to make you anemic.
Itchiness in the genital and anal area
Even though most itchiness is not a sign of cancer, you need to be checked properly if its persistent. Cancerous conditions can make your genital area itchy as it is always warm and therefore one of the first places to get irritated especially if you skin cancer. Check for skin color changes and let the doctor check if it is psoriasis or fungal infection. If you do not get better go for cancer screening.
Source Having any of these symptoms is not an indication that you have cancer or that you highly likely to have it. However, it is a good idea to let your doctor know about it. Better safe than sorry, if it’s not a sign of cancer, your doctor can do other tests to establish the cause of the problem. KEITH R