Routine check-ups and tests are not a reliable form of cancer detection. In order to detect the disease on time you should also notice any strange and unexplained symptom you might experience. Here are the 20 early cancer signs that should never be ignored:
1. Wheezing and shortness of breath
Both symptoms are the earliest signs of the development of lung cancer in your body.
2. Chest pain and chronic cough
Lung tumors and leukemia can mimic symptoms of a chronic cough, and some patients have also reported pain down the arm accompanying the cough and chest pain.
3. Recurrent fever and infections
Frequent fever and infections can be a sign of leukemia, a type of blood tumor that develops in the bone marrow. Once it starts, leukemia makes the marrow produce abnormal white blood cells which attack your immune system.
4. Difficulty swallowing
Although often ignored, difficulty swallowing may be a sign of esophageal, throat or lung cancer.
5. Swollen lymph nodes on the underarms, groin and neck
These symptoms often indicate negative changes in the lymph system which are probably caused by cancer.
6. Bruising and bleeding that don’t stop
This is a sign that there’s something wrong with your platelets and red blood cells and may be caused by leukemia. The abnormal amount of white blood cells caused by the disease can crowd out the red blood cells in your body and hinder the blood’s ability to clot, which will result in blood loss.
7. Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most overlooked signs of cancer. However, being tired doesn’t automatically indicate cancer – it should be looked in combination with other symptoms. If you’re feeling tired for no reason at all, we suggest visiting your doctor.
8. Pelvic and abdominal pain
Cramps and pain in the abdomen and pelvis accompanied by bloating are often a sign of ovarian cancer.
9. Bloating and sudden abdominal weight gain
These symptoms usually indicate ovarian cancer, especially if they go on for a long time.
10. Rectal bleeding and blood in the stool
If you notice blood in your stool you should visit a doctor immediately as it may be an early sign of colorectal cancer.
11. Sudden weight loss
If you’ve started losing weight all of a sudden, you should be concerned as it may be a sign that the cancer has spread to your liver and is affecting your appetite.
12. Stomachache or upset stomach
If your stomach is upset frequently, it may be a symptom of colorectal cancer.
13. Swollen and inflamed nipples
If you notice any kind of change in your nipples such as inflammation or swelling you should visit a doctor as it may be a sign of breast cancer.
14. Nipple changes
Twisted, flattened or invertednipples are some of the earliest signs of breast cancer.
15. Heavy and frequent periods
These symptoms are usually related to endometrial and uterine cancer. If you’re suspecting that you might be suffering from this type of cancer, get a vaginal ultrasound to be sure.
16. Changes on the nails
Streaks and dots in and under the nails, clubbing and pale or white nails can indicate lung or liver cancer.
17. Swelling in the face
Swelling, redness and puffiness in the face may be caused by small tumors in your lungs which are blocking the blood flow leading to your face.
18. Sore lumps that don’t heal
Melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are 3 types of skin cancer that may create sore lumps on your skin that bleed easily and don’t heal.
19. Feeling full and being unable to eat
This is another sign of ovarian cancer – some women don’t have appetite and won’t eat even after skipping a few meals.
20. Pain in the back and lower right side
Pain in the lower right side of the back may be a sign of liver cancer, but it can also indicate breast cancer as well due to breast tumors pressing backwards into the chest.
No matter the gender or age, you should notice any unusual symptoms and address them appropriately. The sooner you notice and treat the problems, the higher your chances of survival. Cancer is a disease which can harm your health beyond repair and even worse, it may have fatal consequences, so it’s nothing to be trifled with. Like with any other disease, it’s best to prevent rather than treat it later, so make sure to live a healthy and active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet rich in foods that prevent cancer.
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