Ways You Can Spot Common Cancers Before It’s Too Late

According to National Cancer Institute (NCI), the rate of new cancer cases (cancer incidence) is 442.4 per 100,000 males and females per year (based on 2013–2017 cases). The cancer death rate (cancer mortality) is 158.3 per 100,000 males and females per year (based on 2013–2017 deaths).

Many people suffer from cancer alone, and it has many possible causes. Sometimes it runs in the blood or what they call genetic cancer. You are more like to acquire this illness if your family’s cancer rate is higher. The environment is one factor, as well as the characteristics of an individual.

Fortunately, if cancer is detected early, it is treatable. And there are ways you should know to spot common cancer before it’s too late.

Fever

Having a fever every once in a while is normal, but one that occurs continuously might be a sign of cancer. According to reports, almost all cancer patients have a fever at the same time and the cause of this is the type of cancer treatment that affects the immune system (in which the body is having a hard type fighting the infection). The type of cancer that associates with fever are blood cancer such as lymphoma, or leukemia.

Don’t overstress yourself or even overwork. Take time to rest and eat healthy food. Exercise is also one thing. If you notice that over-the-counter medications are not working to fight your fever, don’t settle and seek a doctor’s help as soon as possible.

Sudden Change in Bowel/Urine

A symptom of colon cancer may be long-term constipation, diarrhea, or a shift in the size of the stool. If you have a urinary problem that’s reoccurring (having a hard time urinating, blood in urine, and even painful urination), it is more likely that you acquire prostate cancer or bladder infection. Although these are the common symptoms, most men should be more careful since they may develop bladder cancer without experiencing any symptoms. 

Bloating

Ovarian cancer as well as various gastrointestinal cancers are the sort of cancer that can be associated with bloating. Once in a while, we may experience bloating, but if it is longer to fade than what is expected, there’s a possibility that you can acquire this type of cancer.

Skin Changes

It is important to visit the hospital if the changes in your skin are noticeable as they may cause skin cancer. These signs and symptoms include darker-looking skin (hyperpigmentation), yellowish skin and eyes (jaundice), reddened skin (erythema), itching (pruritus), as well as excessive hair growth.

One easy way to know if your skin change is to memorize the ABCDE which means, Asymmetry (moles and mark aren’t uniform), Border (undefined melanoma), Color (has more than one color), Diameter (more than the size of a pencil) and Evolving (melanoma changes overtime).

Mouth Changes

Long-lasting mouth changes should be assessed as they can be associated with mouth cancer. Tobacco use or smoking may result in white spots in the tongue called Leukoplakia, a pre-cancerous area that’s caused by frequent irritation. If not treated immediately, this leukoplakia might turn into mouth cancer.

Quit smoking as early as possible to prevent this type of cancer. Your whole body might be damaged by just smoking cigarettes, not only cancer that you can acquire.

Fatigue

This symptom is very different from what you usually feel after a long day at work and it cannot be cured by just resting. Long-lasting fatigue is a sign of cancer. Some cancers like leukemia, colon, or stomach cancers can result in blood loss, which causes fatigue.

Call the doctor immediately if your fatigue is unbearable. Sometimes we might think that over-the-counter medicines or enough sleep and rest will cure fatigue but it is not always the case. Never think twice about seeking a doctor’s help before everything becomes incurable.

Pain

Pain is also one thing that you should be worrying about. Although many reasons can cause pain such as routine, exercise, or minor accidents- sometimes there’s an underlying disease, especially if you have no idea why you feel pain.

Cancer is painful and this pain includes a mass or tumor pushing on the other areas of your body -the chemicals a cancer releases, metastasis, or spreading from where cancer started.

Other Common Symptoms

There are various ways and common symptoms to spot cancer that is not included in the list. It’s best to be very careful and mindful of your body. If you feel uneasy or you notice something strange in your body, the best thing to do here is to visit your doctor. The word ‘cancer’ alone is very scary but if detected early, it can be cured. Always visit your doctor before everything is too late.