How can you tell something's not quite right? Pay attention to the clues from your body.
Play it smart when you notice anything that could be a serious health problem, like cancer. Talk to your doctor and get it checked out. In general, disease is easier to treat when you spot it early
Signs and Symptoms of Cancer
Signs and symptoms are ways the body lets you know that you have an injury, illness, or disease.
A sign, such as fever or bleeding, can be seen or measured by someone else.
A symptom, such as pain or fatigue, is felt or noticed by the person who has it.
Signs and symptoms of cancer depend on where the cancer is, how big it is, and how much it affects nearby organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread (metastasized), signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body.
How does cancer cause signs and symptoms?
A cancer can grow into,or begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness (fatigue), or weight loss. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the body’s energy supply. Or the cancer could release substances that change the way the body makes energy. Cancer can also cause the immune system to react in ways that produce these signs and symptoms.
What are some general signs and symptoms of cancer?
Most signs and symptoms are not caused by cancer but can be caused by other things. If you have any signs and symptoms that don't go away or get worse, you should see a doctor to find out what’s causing them. If cancer is not the cause, a doctor can help figure out what the cause is and treat it, if needed.
For instance, lymph nodes are part of the body’s immune system and help capture harmful substances in the body. Normal lymph nodes are tiny and can be hard to find. But when there’s infection, inflammation, or cancer, the nodes can get larger. Those near the body’s surface can get big enough to feel with your fingers, and some can even be seen as swelling or a lump under the skin. One reason lymph nodes may swell is if cancer gets trapped there. So, if you have unusual swelling or a lump, you should see your doctor to figure out what’s going on.
Here are some of the more common signs and symptoms that may be caused by cancer. However, any of these can be caused by other problems as well.
Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest.
Weight loss or gain of 10 pounds or more for no known reason
Eating problems such as not feeling hungry, trouble swallowing, belly pain, or nausea and vomiting
Swelling or lumps anywhere in the body
Thickening or lump in the breast or other part of the body
Pain, especially new or with no known reason, that doesn’t go away or gets worse
Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Cough or hoarseness that does not go away
Unusual bleeding or bruising for no known reason
Change in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea, that doesn’t go away or a change in how your stools look
Bladder changes such as pain when passing urine, blood in the urine or needing to pass urine more or less often
Fever or nights sweats
Headaches
Vision or hearing problems
Mouth changes such as sores, bleeding, pain, or numbness
The signs and symptoms listed above are the more common ones seen with cancer, but there are many others that are not listed here. If you notice any major changes in the way your body works or the way you feel – especially if it lasts for a long time or gets worse – let a doctor know. If it has nothing to do with cancer, the doctor can find out more about what’s going on and, if needed, treat it. If it is cancer, you’ll give yourself the chance to have it treated early, when treatment is more successful.
Sometimes, it’s possible to find cancer before you have symptoms. The American Cancer Society and other health groups recommend cancer-related check-ups and certain tests for people even though they have no symptoms. This helps find certain cancers early.
One way to tell where the blood is coming from is by how light or dark it looks. Bright red could mean the bleeding is in your rectum or the end of your intestines. A darker color means it may be from higher up, like a stomach ulcer.
No matter what the cause, blood in your stool needs to be checked out. You may need a colonoscopy or other tests to find the problem.
Blood in the urine. When it shows up in your pee, blood could be a warning sign of a problem in your urinary tract. Kidney or bladder cancer can cause this symptom, but it could also be due to an infection, kidney stones, or kidney disease.
Cough that doesn't go away. A cold or the flu can make you hack away, but it's also a potential symptom of lung cancer, along with red flags like chest pain, weight loss, hoarseness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. See your doctor if you can't seem to shake it, especially if you're a smoker.
Extreme fatigue. It's one of the most common cancer symptoms. We're not talking about a normal type of tiredness here -- it's exhaustion that doesn't go away. If changing your activity level or getting more sleep doesn't make you perk up, see your doctor.
Fever that doesn't go away. When your temperature goes up, it's usually a sign you've caught an infection. But some cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, and kidney and liver cancers, can also make that happen.
Cancer fevers often rise and fall during the day, and sometimes they peak at the same time. See your doctor if you have a temperature of over 100.5 degrees F that lasts for more than a few days.
Lump in the neck. It could be an infection, but it's also an early warning of mouth, throat, thyroid, and voice box (larynx) cancers.
Cancer lumps usually don't hurt. If you have one that doesn't go away or grows, see your doctor.
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