It can be said without a doubt that cancer is by far one of the deadliest diseases around today. Although a healthy diet can cut down your risk of developing certain types of cancer, many other factors such as genes can play a larger role. Unfortunately, once the cancer has spread, it can often be difficult to treat. Knowing the early symptoms and signs can help you find early treatment to better your chances of remission.
Don’t Ignore These 10 Warning Sign
1. A Lump Beneath the Skin
Various cancers can be felt through the skin. Usually, breast, testicle, lymph nodes, as well as the soft tissues of the body will develop lumps if cancer has developed in those areas. This lump, or thickening can be an early or late sign, and should immediately be reported to a doctor. You can perform self-exams to recognize when something is different, and a problem is occurring. That way, if you do find anything, it will be an early sign rather than a late one.
2. Loss of Blood/Fever
Fever is the body’s typical response infection, illness, or disease. People who have cancer will often have a fever as a symptom, or sign that the cancer has spread to a new area, or that it could possibly be affecting the auto immune system. Although it is rarely a sign of many types of cancer, it could be if a person has a blood cancer, such as cancer can cause unusual bleeding. Bloody stools can be a sign of colon or rectal cancer. Report any such symptoms to a doctor immediately.
3. Itchy Skin
Since our gastrin-releasing peptide receptors are responsible for itching, and these receptors are activated in numerous types of cancer, including gastrointestinal, breast, lung, pancreas, and prostate cancers, often times itching can be a sign of these types of cancer. Studies show that it increases tumor cell proliferation. Various studies also show that it is a major tool cancer cells use to regenerate their growth.
4. Changes in Bowel Movement
Common stomach ailments or changes in bowel movements are occurrences and while they don’t always mean that you are seriously ill, they should not be ignored. Colon cancer causes change in bowel habits, appearance of the stool, bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, dark or black stool, as well as cramping pain in the lower stomach.
5. Loss of Appetite or Trouble Swallowing
Specific types of cancer, including ovarian, pancreatic, and stomach cancers- often cause a loss of appetite. Usually this is caused by the effect on the metabolism.
6. Bumps on the Mouth or Tongue
Persistent mouth sores, pain in the mouth, and bumps can sometimes indicate mouth cancer. If you are experiencing mouth pain that has recently occurred or is not typical have a doctor check out the areas to provide a checkup, which will allow the doctor to access whether cancer testing is necessary or not
7. Coughing
Cancer that is growing in the lungs, throat or esophagus can cause coughing. Visit your doctor if it is not the result of other illness.
8. Urination Changes
Color changes, painful urination, as well as bloody urine can be an indication of bladder cancer. Visit a urologist if you experience any of these symptoms.
9. Wounds that Don’t Heal
If you have cuts or other skin injuries that are taking a long time to heal, this could be a sign of a weakened immune system caused by cancer. When you have cancer in the body the immune system uses all it has to fight and destroy cancer. This leaves your immune system weak to fight against or heal minor issues.
10. Changes in Your Voice
Voice changes can mean a variety of things, however, if you have a change in pitch that lasts longer than a few weeks, you could be symptomatic of a serious problem. These changes can literally make the difference between life and death in a throat cancer patient.