Don’t dismiss these symptoms, no matter how trivial they might seem. Getting checked out could save your life. You won’t always get a lump or a bump with cancer.
The signs can be much less obvious—and they could point to other health issues as well. It’s key to discuss any of the following symptoms with your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
A LUMP IN THE FRONT OF THE NECK
A suspicious neck lump could be a sign of lung, throat, thyroid, and breast cancers as well as leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some forms of skin cancer. While the lumps can be benign or non-cancerous, they’re a bigger concern if you also have risk factors like smoking, drinking, or you’re getting up there in years.
Michael Tuttle, MD, an endocrinologist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says to pay attention to how the lump behaves. “The trick is [thyroid nodules] move up and down when you swallow,” Dr. Tuttle says. “Most other lumps don’t move.”
Jaundice is the medical term for yellowing skin and eyes, and it comes from bile buildup—an indication that your body isn’t able to break bile down.
“Jaundice is one of the clearest symptoms of pancreatic cancer,” says Christopher DiMaio, MD, a gastroenterologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Often, patients feel fine until one day a friend notices their eyes look yellow, then they go to the doctor and find they have advanced pancreatic cancer.”
Jaundice can also cause your skin to itch, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Yellowing skin is a symptom of gallbladder and liver cancers, as well as other diseases.
NOTICEABLE CHANGES IN A WART OR MOLE
Changes in color, shape, or size, of a wart, mole, or freckle could be melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Having fair skin is a primary risk factor; see a dermatologist yearly if your complexion is fair, you have a family history of melanoma, or you have more than 50 moles on your body, recommends Brian Hinds, MD, and Anna Di Nardo, MD, of the University of California, San Diego. If any freckles, beauty marks, or moles start to bleed, speak with your dermatologist.
PERSISTENT STOMACH OR ABDOMINAL PAIN
You may think your abdominal pain is simply indigestion or period cramps. However, if the discomfort locates itself in the upper-right abdomen region, this could be a symptom of gallbladder cancer. Persistent stomach cramps could also be a symptom of leukemia or esophageal, liver, pancreatic, colorectal, or testicular cancer. These other symptoms could be gallbladder cancer.
STOMACH BLOATING
Ovarian, pancreatic, stomach, colon, liver, uterine, and breast cancers could all cause severe abdominal bloating. “With ovarian cancer, not only can tumors grow quite large, but they can result in fluid growing around them, which can cause pretty dramatic abdominal extension,” says Amanda Fader, MD, associate professor and director of Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service at Johns Hopkins Medicine. If your abdomen is growing while your face and arms are losing muscle and fat, it probably isn’t just weight gain.
PERSISTENT HEADACHES
Telling the difference between a common headache and headaches from cancer is challenging—even for doctors. The best indicator of cancer, however, is a new daily headache that won’t go away with treatment, such as over-the-counter painkillers, according to Mike Chen, MD, Ph.D., associate professor in the division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, at City of Hope in California.
“These headaches tend to get worse over time and often happen first thing in the morning when intracranial pressure is high from lying in bed for long periods of time,” he says. However, there’s no specific type of headache that can predict whether or not a person has a brain tumor. Cancers in the brain, spinal cord, and upper throat, as well as some forms of lymphoma, pituitary gland tumors, and other cancers that spread to the brain, may also cause headaches.
DIFFICULTY FORMING WORDS
Oral and brain cancers can impact speech, especially ones in the frontal or temporal lobes. People can lose basic motor functions like speech and language comprehension and end up stuttering or have difficulty naming objects, says Christopher Carrubba, MD, co-director for medical education at Med School Tutors. In the case of oral cancer in your lips, gums, tongue, and throat, speech problems occur if cancer changes how any part of your mouth moves.
ABNORMAL BLEEDING DOWN THERE
“The most common subtle signs of cervical cancer are abnormal bleeding of any kind,” says John Moroney, MD, associate professor in gynecologic oncology at the University of Chicago. This includes bleeding in between periods, heavier-than-usual menstruation, or bleeding after menopause. Other cancers that cause abnormal vaginal bleeding are cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers.
A PAINLESS LUMP IN YOUR TESTICLE
One of the most common testicular cancer symptoms is a pain-free mass in the testis, according to Joseph Harryhill, MD, an assistant clinical professor of urology at the University of Pennsylvania. “It is important for men to realize that a tumor often does not cause any significant discomfort—thus the importance of regular testicular self-examination,” Harryhill says.
Many times men will not notice the mass until they receive an unrelated injury, bringing the tumor to their attention. Moral of the story: Make sure you check yourself regularly for lumps and bumps.
FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, AND LETHARGY
Leukemia and brain tumors can cause cancer-related fatigue. For people with leukemia, this is usually because of anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells), which only compounds the physical exhaustion. People with a brain tumor, however, experience weakness and lethargy due to disrupted nerve signals. There are also some colon or stomach cancers that can cause blood loss that leads to fatigue, according to the ACS. The later stages of kidney cancer will also rob energy, reports the Mayo Clinic.
CHRONIC COUGHING
If you have a persistent cough for more than three weeks without other cold or allergy symptoms, it could be an early sign of lung or throat cancer. Leukemia can also cause symptoms that seem like bronchitis or a bad chest cold. Not surprisingly, coughing up blood can be another cancer symptom, especially if it’s bright red and looks bubbly from mixing with air and mucus.
NEW, DARK NAIL MARKS
Melanoma of the nails—officially known as subungual melanoma—hits up to 3.5 percent of people with melanoma. Rare as it is, it’s crucial to remember this telltale sign: a dark black or brown line across a fingernail or toenail, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
BLOOD OR BLOOD CLOTS IN YOUR URINE
Leukemia, bladder cancer, prostate, and kidney cancer could all cause blood in your urine—and so it’s not something to ignore. Blood in the urine is the most common sign of bladder cancer, notes Gary Steinberg, MD, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago and director of urologic oncology.
The blood doesn’t always have to look bright red. Sometimes, it looks brown, like the color of cola. If you notice blood in your urine, see a doctor right away.
PAIN OR BURNING WHEN URINATING
Pain or a burning sensation during urination can be an indicator of bladder cancer. “Many patients, especially as we get older, will have changes in our urination,” says Gary Steinberg, MD, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago and director of urologic oncology. Gradual changes are OK, but if you suddenly experience new, uncomfortable symptoms, see a doctor right away.
A SHIFT IN BOWEL HABITS
This is one of the most obvious symptoms of colon cancer. If you have issues with long-term constipation, diarrhea, or a difference in stool size, speak to your doctor. This can also be a sign of ovarian cancer, either because the disease has spread to the colon or has triggered the buildup of fluid in the area. These other symptoms could indicate ovarian cancer.
SUBTLE VISION LOSS
Cancers that start in the brain or spinal cord—or have spread there—may cause blurred vision, double vision, or vision loss. Patients often won’t notice the issue until they realize they’re continually bumping into things on one side of their body, or have repeated car accidents on the side suffering damage.
UNUSUAL VAGINAL DISCHARGE
Uterine or cervical cancer could cause out-of-the-ordinary vaginal discharge. Persistent discharge that has a different color, or that has an odor, could be the result of dead or dying tissue, says Tracy Scheller, MD, a gynecologist in Englewood, New Jersey.
It’s normal and healthy for discharge to change throughout the month, and it can vary in thickness, opacity, and consistency. But any vaginal discharge that is pale, watery, foul-smelling, brown, or bloody could be a sign of cervical cancer.
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