Although it’s always important to go to the doctor for regular checkups or if you sense something isn’t right in your body, there are some early warning signs you can pick up on. By being aware of your body and any chances it might be going through, you may just save your own life in the face of a life-threatening cancer.
Remember to monitor these symptoms; if they last more than several weeks, you should contact a healthcare professional. For women, the risk is increased. Although cervical and breast cancers can be seen via screening, some other gynecologic cancers are not as obvious. While these signs are not necessarily cancer, they might be, so paying close attention to your body and its regular habits can help you recognize potential signs of the disease.
1.Pain in the pelvic area and abnormal menstruation
It’s not that strange for women to have irregular periods once in a while or cramps while menstruating. If you’re experiencing major, persistent pelvic pain and have changes in your cycle, like multiple irregular, unusually heavy, or missed periods, it could mean uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancer. If not, it may signal a condition like endometriosis.
2. Bowel and bladder movement changes
If you notice that your bladder or bowel movements are abnormal, it’s something to keep an eye on. This can include very frequent urination, blood in the urine or stool, abdominal pain, and either consistently loose stools or constipation that won’t go away.
3. Changes or lumps in the breast
An early indicator of breast cancer can be lumps and dimples that weren’t there before, discoloration, nipple discharge, or other changes around the nipple. Additionally, watch out for any swelling, redness, or pain. Note that this differs from the regular breast tenderness you usually get around your period.
4. Extreme weight loss or gain
Cancer often affects appetite, and while weight loss is more common, weight gain can occur too. It could be a red flag if you’re rapidly losing or gaining ten pounds or more without any changes to your diet or workout routine. Changes in appetite, like always feeling full or rarely feeling hungry, should be observed, too.
5. Persistent throat pain or struggling to swallow
Keep getting a sore throat or earache that won’t heal or having trouble swallowing? It may be an indicator of lung, throat, or stomach cancer. Additionally, look out for the feeling of food getting stuck in the throat as well as oral symptoms like lesions or sores in the mouth, especially if you’re a smoker.
6. Constant, acute fatigue
Fatigue can be caused by a range of issues, but if you’re regularly getting sleep and not much has changed in your lifestyle but you still feel exhausted, you should make an appointment with a physician to rule out cancer. Sudden changes in energy levels may indicate lymphoma or leukemia.
7. Getting fevers frequently
Have you had a fever that spikes repeatedly or lasts more than three or four days? Certain cancers can cause back-to-back infections and weaken the immune system, which can manifest in these symptoms, along with frequent night sweats that appear out of nowhere.
8. Changes to the skin
This can include yellowed eyes and fingertips, otherwise known as jaundice, or moles that have irregular borders, inconsistent or changing colors, growing in size, or an asymmetrical look. If you have a mole that gets larger than a pencil eraser or changes over time in any way, get it checked out. Changes beneath the skin, such as new lumps or masses, should also be noted.
9. Bruising
If you’re repeatedly getting tender bruising, it may be the result of a medication you’re on or issues with blood clotting, but in some cases, it can be a sign of certain blood cancers, especially if it’s happening often in unusual places and you don’t recall bumping into anything.
10. Post-menopausal uterine bleeding
If you’re experiencing abnormal bleeding even after you’ve experienced menopause and haven’t gotten a period in years, it could mean endometrial cancer. Although perimenopausal women can occasionally get their periods until they fully enter menopause, if you haven’t had it in a couple of years and bleeding starts showing up, it’s important to see a specialist.
