Knowing the signs of cancer is crucial. Cancer, when left untreated and undiagnosed, can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort and eventually death. While the possibility of having this dreadful illness is something that no one wants to hear, it is important to get help right away, so your chances of survival are increased immensely. If you see that you have any of these symptoms especially if you have a family history of cancer, it is a good idea to check it out with your doctor. In many cases, these signs and symptoms can be indicators of other less threatening illnesses. Best practice is always to have things checked out.
Sudden Weight Loss
Everyone loses weight. However, if you notice that you have drastically lost at least ten pounds or more even if you are not even putting forth any effort then this might be a reason for concern. Now that being said drastic weight loss does not always mean cancer, but it is always best to have this ruled out. Many other factors can calculate into sudden weight loss such as stress, not getting enough sleep, or just not eating properly. However, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Some cancers feed off of the body’s cells and prevent proper nutrition from getting where it needs to go thus causing the weight loss. Typical examples of cancer that do this are pancreatic, stomach, esophagus or lung cancer.
Fever
Most cancer patients have high temperatures especially as the illness progresses. In many cases when someone has an unexplained fever it could be an indicator of the disease. Also, it is a good possibility the mass has spread to other parts of the body. Cancer has a strong tendency to weaken the immune system as it strengthens. Once it does it leaves the body defenseless against any infections which can cause the sudden onset of fevers.
Fatigue
Certain cancers especially blood cancers such as Leukemia can cause an individual to feel exhausted. This is a definitive example of a tumor growing as it robs the body’s cells of blood and nutrients that are necessary to keep it functioning at an optimum pace. Other cancers such as Colon cancer can cause a similar scenario as patients often lose blood with this cancer that also contributes to extreme fatigue. If you find that you are getting sufficient rest and still don’t feel rested, you might want to see your doctor especially if this is coupled with a few of the other symptoms here.
Pain
Some cancers such as testicular or bone tumors can cause extreme pain as they spread. Other symptoms of other diseases, for example, the pancreas, ovaries, or rectum can cause pain to spread throughout your back and belly. If you notice, you have had a persistent pain that has increased in magnitude over time this is an indicator that something needs to be checked out.
Skin Changes
Skin cancer amongst other ones can cause radical changes in your skin color tone and pigmentation. Typical signs of this, for example, in those individuals whose skin has spread to their liver their tone will become a yellowish tinge. Other signs are darker looking skin as well as moles that suddenly change in size or texture. Any of these indicators should be checked out by a medical professional.
