Knowing cancer symptoms is better, as it can help you in early discovery of a cancer, which is a dreadful, devastating disease taking several lives each year.
Many a times it acts as a silent killer not showing any symptoms but present within the body destroying it and deteriorating life in its way.
In many cases no cancer symptoms are predicted unless and until the disease reaches it’s advanced and killing stage.
Cancer as known is a result of abnormal cell division and multiplications. Normal cells reproduce and die within a particular period of time.
But the cells which do not die as usual and multiply rapidly may turn abnormal in due course of time. This may lead to accumulation of cells at a point to form lump or tumor. Later these cells turn malignant after many mutations.
Metastasis is defined as the stage in which malignant cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This metastasis stage of the disease is quite a problematic stage as it responds very low to the cancer treatment options. In this case the ultimate aim of the treatment will be to control the further spread of the disease.
Common Cancer Symptoms or Signs of Cancer
Generally speaking although cancers differ greatly, there are a few cancer symptoms that are commonly experienced by most patients. These most common cancer symptoms include:
- In the early stages of this disease one may experience persistent fatigue which is one of the most commonly experienced cancer symptoms. Usually it is more common when the disease is advanced.
- When this disease has progressed pain is quite a normal symptom. In case of bone cancers this may be a predictable cancer symptom for diagnosis.
- Fever: Most patients experience a fever at some point. Behind its occurrence several reasons may be accompanied like disease affecting their immune system, the cancer itself, or a response to treatment. This again like pain is the cancer symptom which appears as the disease progresses.
- Unintentional Weight loss: It is noticed that without putting any real efforts the patient looses weight. Losing 10 or more pounds all of a sudden in an early cancer symptom.
- Changes to the Skin such as jaundice, darkening of the skin, abnormal hair growth, reddening, and skin itchiness can indicate certain types of cancers.
Therefore taking all the above symptoms into consideration, roughly symptoms can be categorized into three groups:
- Local symptoms: This category includes formation of unusual lumps or swelling which looks like tumor, uncontrollable bleeding or hemorrhage. Jaundice may arise due to compression of surrounding tissues. Pain is the common symptom at the affected area which may be a swelling, tumor or lump. Ulceration may also be caused sometimes.
- Symptoms of metastasis or the cancer which has spread: enlarged lymph nodes, cough and hemoptysis. The live may also enlarge which is called hepatomegaly. Unusual bone pain, fracture of affected bones and neurological symptoms may be seen. One cannot consider pain to be an early symptom as many advanced cases show this symptom too.
- Systemic symptoms: include unintentional weight loss, loss of hunger, poor appetite, excessive sweating especially night sweats, anemia. Other specific conditions such as thrombosis and hormonal changes may be due to active cancer. This phenomena is called paraneoplastic
Keep in min that every single item in the above list can be caused by a variety of conditions. There are over one hundred different types of cancer. They are all unique with their own symptoms and characteristics. Each type of cancer affects the body in a different way.