Often, cancer signs are too small to be identified, so a person can easily miss them and even be completely unconcerned by them.
Some even feel healthy until the doctor tells them they have cancer. Therefore, identifying the early symptoms of cancer is crucial for increasing the chances of survival.
Here’s the list of the 10 early cancer signs:
1. Persistent cough. If you are constantly coughing for a longer period, even if you are a non-smoker, consult your doctor and make a chest X-ray ASAP to eliminate the possibility of lung cancer.
2. Itchy skin. A sore or spot that hurts and itches, bleeds, and is crusty can be a sign of skin cancer.
3. Vocal changes. Your voice might try to tell you something, so if you notice drastic changes consult your doctor to discover the right reason, which might be throat cancer. Early diagnosis of this type of cancer can mean curing it without extensive treatment.
4. Changes in the frequency and color of urination. One of the first signs of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, changing its color to orange, pink, or darker red. Another sign is having an increased urge for urination. However, this doesn't mean that anyone with a changed frequency and color of urine has bladder cancer, so the best thing is to consult your doctor.
5. Wounds that don’t heal. If you have a wound or sore that doesn't heal over weeks or months, it's time you make an appointment with your doctor.
6. White lumps on the tongue or in the mouth. Persistent lumps on the tongue, lips, cheek, gums or even palate can be a sign of mouth cancer. They can be white, red, or white-red.
7. Unexplained bleeding. Blood in the urine and stool, coughing blood, or vaginal bleeding (between periods) can be all signs of different types of cancer. Blood in the urine can mean bladder or kidney cancer; blood in the stool- rectal or colon cancer; coughing blood- lung cancer; and vaginal bleeding- cancer of the cervix.
8. Stool changes. If you notice changes in your stool such as looser, more frequent stool accompanied by abdominal pain that lasts for more than two days, it might be good to visit your doctor, to eliminate the risk of bowel cancer.
9. Lumps under the skin. The first sign of a soft tissue sarcoma is a painless lump under the skin of the legs, arms, buttocks, chest, stomach, hands, or feet. If you notice the lump gets painful to the touch, grows, and doesn't disappear, make a soon appointment with your physician.
10. Swallowing problems or loss of appetite. Often, advanced cancer or cancer treatments can affect your taste buds or make you lose your appetite. You might also have difficulty swallowing or chewing.
If you happen to experience any of these ten symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor ASAP to eliminate the disease or detect it early to increase your chances of survival.
Via Hopkins Medicine | Health
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