Early Warning Signs

Many cancers elicit subtle clues in their early stages prior to overt symptoms arising. Persistent, unexplained fatigue; unintentional weight changes; fever; pain or discomfort; nagging cough; hoarseness; digestive issues; sores; lumps or skin changes; abnormal bleeding or discharge; mouth or tongue alterations; and persistent bloating or difficulty swallowing are some common red flags not to ignore. While most early signs will not ultimately signal cancer, bringing concerns to your doctor promptly for evaluation and necessary testing provides the best chance for early detection and optimal outcomes if malignancy is found. Knowing your own body and being attuned to uncharacteristic or stubborn patterns rather than waiting for more overt signs to develop can be life-saving, as prompt diagnosis and treatment enhances survival for many cancer types.

Early Warning Signs.

In our world, cancer has taken the place of one of the biggest and most scary possibilities out on our horizon. When we ask a broad range of people what biggest fears are, cancer comes in at or near the top of the list almost every time. Because of that a lot of us prefer not even to think about the possibility of cancer in our lives and if we have some odd symptom, just try and ignore it hoping that it'll just go away. And certainly in many cases those symptoms may just go away. On the other hand, catching those early warning signs and discovering cancer as early as we can is one of the most powerful and beneficial things we can do relative to cancer. Caught early, most cancers are much more easily treated. In this room, it may be that the only thing even better in this realm is prevention. And that's the topic we will cover broadly also on this website.

Cancer symptoms can vary widely depending on the type of cancer, stage and the individuals overall health. However, symptoms are, forms of cancer. Please remember as we're going through these symptoms, one does not mean that one has cancer. There could be a number of other reasons and conditions causing the same symptoms. However, the symptoms persist, is important to seek medical advice to determine the cause. Knowing the cause and catching it early if we have developed cancer gives us much more choice and Power to resolve these things favorably. And if it turns out it's something else, dolphin does, being better informed is always to our advantage.

The 12 most common signs that may be indicative of cancer:

  • 1. Persistent Fatigue

    Fatigue is a common sign in many illnesses, certainly not just cancer. However, blind and prolonged fatigue that doesn't improve with rest may indicate a problem. Some cancers begin with mitochondrial dysfunction. The mitochondria are the power units in each of our cells and if these aren't working right that can lead to fatigue. Some cancers like leukemia can directly lead to fatigue as well. Whatever the reason, we want to know the cause so that we can correct it.

  • 2. Unexplained Weight Loss

    Losing weight without trying can be a sign of several types of cancer such as lung cancer stomach pancreatic or esophageal cancer. A sudden weight loss of 10 lb or .more might be the first sign of cancer. Again, there's certainly other things much more benign they can cause this as well.

  • 3. Frequent Fevers or Infections

    These can be a sign of something like leukemia which is a cancer of the blood cells and starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia cells can crowd out normal blood cells, to problems such as frequent infections or fevers.

  • 4. Skin CChanges

    Changes in freckles, or new skin sores that don't heal, be a sign of skin cancer. Other skin changes to watch out for include darker looking skin, yellow skin and eyes, red and skin, or even excessive hair growth.

  • 5. Difficulty Swallowing or Persistent Indigestion

    Throat discomfort or dysphagia can be a symptom of gastrointestinal cancers such as throat or esophageal cancer. Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating can also be a sign of potential stomach cancer. Obviously, be a sign of a number of other more diverse conditions.

  • 6. Change in Bowel or Bladder Habits

    If we have prolonged constipation, diarrhea, blood in the stool or changes in the size of the stool, could be a sign of: cancer. Frequent urination, or changes in bladder function could be related to Bladder or prostate cancer.

  • 7. Unusual Bleeding or Discharge

    For instance, the blood May indicate lung cancer. Blood in the stool could be a sign of: Or rectal cancer. Cancer of the cervix or endometrium can cause abnormal vaginal bleeding. Blood in the urine May indicate as we've said, bladder or kidney cancer. Bloody discharge from the nipple might indicate breast cancer.

  • 8. Lumps or Thickening in the Body

    Many cancers can be felt through the skin, particularly in the breast, call, nodes or soft tissues of the body. A lump or thickening maybe an early or late sign of Cancer and should be checked out by your medical professional, especially if you've just found it or noticed that it has grown in size.

  • 9. Persistent or Unexplained Pain

    Is a common symptom of many types of illnesses including cancer. Persistent pain that is unexplained in last for a month or longer can be a symptom of one of these cancers. Headaches that do not go away or improvement with treatment maybe a symptom of a brain tumor. As always, these could be a symptom of another underlying condition and regardless of the cause should be looked at.

  • 10. Changes in the Mouth

    White patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue in some cases can be precancerous areas that turn into oral cancer. Sores that do not heal, eating or numbness are all possible symptoms to be considered.

  • 11. Unexplained Anemia or Thrombocytopenia

    Certain types of cancers can result in anemia which means low red blood cell count. Others may result in combocytopenia meaning low platelet cell count. Symptoms that may go with this can include fatigue, nice, pale skin, innocent breath, dizziness or frequent and unexplained bruising.

  • 12. Persistent Cough or Hoarseness

    A persistent cough or persistent hoarseness can be an indication of an underlying cancer such as lung cancer or laryngeal cancer. Any cough that persists for more than a few weeks should be examined. There are a number of things that can lead to this and all of them can benefit by early detection and intervention.

Please remember, this list is by no means exhaustive. There are so many different types of cancer and they can present in many different ways. If you have any unusual symptoms that persist, consult with a healthcare professional. Different types of cancer as we've said can have specific or unique warning signs. Here are some examples:

Breast Cancer:

Aside from lumps, your signs can include breast pain, nipple pain, nipple discharge, redness, or a thickening of the nipple or breast skin or a change in the size or shape of the breast.

Prostate Cancer:

Early prostate cancer often doesn't cause any or many symptoms. As a prostate cancer advances more it can produce symptoms like trouble urinating, at least force in the Stream of the urine, blood in the urine, blood in the semen, pain or erectile dysfunction.

Lung Cancer:

Shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, or hoarseness. In later stages, can include bone pain such as in the back or hips, nervous system changes such as headache, weakness or numbness of an arm or a leg, dizziness or balance problems.

Colorectal Cancer:

Symptoms can include changes in bowel habits, persistent abdominal discomfort such as cramps, gas or pain, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, weakness and fatigue or unexplained weight loss. In some cases the blood can be discovered through a test of the fecal matter to reveal blood that isn't necessarily visible in the stool.