Cancer Symptoms Women Shouldn’t Ignore

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.