After heart disease, cancer causes the most number of deaths in the US. Although the condition is chronic, it is curable, especially when detected early. In rare cases, the disease might develop without manifesting itself in the form of early symptoms, but in a majority of cases, the disease produces several warning signs that help in the early detection.
Ignoring the symptoms by interpreting it as common health issues might produce devastating results, which is why it is advisable to consult with your physician if you experience recurring symptoms that could probably be characteristic of cancer.
Early Signs Of Cancer
Noticing some symptoms that are common in cancer doesn’t necessarily indicate that the person has cancer. The symptoms might be caused some harmless health disorder too. But recurrent symptoms that seem to persist longer period of time indicate that it is time to see a doctor. Some common symptoms of cancer are given below.
Persistent Cough
These are usual symptoms of infections like sinusitis or bronchitis but in some cases, they might be indicative of cancer in the lungs, neck or head. If you have been experiencing nagging cough for more than a month or blood in the mucus, it’s time you see the best oncologist in Los Angeles.
Unexplained Anemia
The condition in which people have lesser number of red blood cells in blood is termed as anemia and all types of anemia need proper treatment. Blood loss mostly causes iron deficiency anemia, and unless there is a clear source of blood loss, the anemia has to be explained.
Bowel cancers mostly causes iron-deficiency anemia and the cancer evaluation methods include X-Ray studies or endoscopy of lower and upper intestinal tracts.
Hoarseness
Hoarseness that is not caused by an infection in the respiratory tract or that lasts more than three or four weeks has to be evaluated. A simple allergy or vocal cord polyps can cause hoarseness but in some cases, it might be the indicative of cancer of the throat.
Changes In Mole Or Wart
Multicolored moles that bleed or has irregular edges might be cancerous. Larger moles that keep on growing require evaluation, where the doctor removes the mole and send it for examination under the microscope for skin cancer.
Night Sweats, Unexpected Weight Loss, Fever
Although these symptoms are not specific of cancer, they might indicate some form of cancer. Pancreatic cancer often causes weight loss although it doesn’t cause pain symptoms. Some infections like tuberculosis also could lead to similar symptoms. Hence before coming to conclusions by self analysis, consult a doctor.
Having mentioned the early symptoms of cancer, we would also like to tell that noticing some of the symptoms shouldn’t raise unnecessary warning signs because the underlying causes of these symptoms could be some other medical condition and not necessarily cancer.