So, how would you know if you have cancer? Though there are many signs of cancer, here are some symptoms to watch out for:
• Abdominal swelling /pain, vaginal bleeding, and frequent urination are symptoms of ovarian cancer.
• A skin cancer may manifest as a change in mole.
• In case of males, a mass in testicles should be checked to see if it is because of cancer.
• The most important signs of breast cancer include the presence of a lump in the breast and discharge from nipples.
• Frequent urination, along with the symptoms of cloudy & bloody urine, a burning sensation, and fever may suggest bladder cancer or prostate cancer.
• Convulsions (commonly called “fits”), nausea, and severe headache are signs of brain cancer.
• Oral ulcers that do not heal over a considerable period and bleed indicate mouth cancer.
Also, there are certain risk factors of cancer such as smoking, alcoholism, a family history — someone in the family has a cancer, exposure to ionizing radiation, being overweight, etc. But even if some of these risk factors apply to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you may have cancer. The best thing to overcome your concern about having cancer is to discuss it with your doctor.
Given below are some of the medical tests that can help determine whether or not you have cancer:
CBC Blood Test: It can confirm presence/absence of cancer-causing cells.
PET Scan: PET works by providing a dynamic image of the body's interior.
PET lets doctors visualize the body's metabolism. Because cancer cells divide rapidly, they break down glucose at a much higher rate than do the normal cells, and the increased activity can show up on a scan.
CT Scans: Various cross-sectional images of the specific body organ are obtained. A CT scan can reveal the presence of a tumor or abnormal growth, which is a sign of cancer.
Biopsy: A sample of affected tissue is taken from the body and is examined under a microscope.
For more information on cancer diagnosis, see below:
Lung Cancer: Top 5 Symptoms
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Breast Cancer: Top 5 Symptoms
Signs of Lung Cancer
Do you Have Skin Cancer?
Breast Cancer: Warning Signs
Signs of Prostate Cancer
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.