WARNING SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of cancer

Here is a brief summary of the commonest of cancers and some of the more obvious symptoms:

• Bladder cancer – pain in abdomen, blood in urine intermittent or constant, blood may be visible by colour (frank haematuria) or only detectable by testing at your GP’s,  intermittent burning when urinating, repeated bladder infections.
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• Bone cancer – pain, swelling, fractures, weight loss, nausea, weakness.
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• Brain cancer – headaches, dizzines, vision and memory problems, fatigue, weight loss, nausea.
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• Breast cancer – lumps in the breast, swollen lymph nodes, discharge from the nipple, a change in the size or shape of a breast, dimpling of the skin on the breast, a thickening in the breast tissue, a nipple becoming inverted (turned in), a lump or thickening behind the nipple, a rash (like eczema) affecting the nipple, a swelling or lump in the armpit, blood in discharge from the nipple.
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• Colorectal cancer – blood in stools, loss of appetite, fatigue, dark or bright red blood in or on your stools, a change in your normal bowel habit, such as diarrhoea or constipation, for no obvious reason that lasts for longer than six weeks, unexplained weight loss, pain in the tummy (abdomen) or back passage, a feeling of not having emptied your bowel properly after a bowel motion, general discomfort, such as gas, bloating or cramps, in the tummy (abdomen).
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• Kidney cancer – blood in urine either constant or intermittent visible (frank haematuria or only detectable by GP test, back pain, feelings of lethargy.
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• Leukemia – paleness, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, pain in bones, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats.
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• Liver cancer – .
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• Lung cancer – persistent cough, wheezzing, pain in the chest, blood in the sputum, enlarge lymph nodes.
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• Melanoma – bumps in the skin, changes in the mole, easy bleeding.
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• Non-Hodgkings lymphoma – swelling in the lymph nodes, neck, groin, under arm, fatigue, fever, weight loss, bone pain.
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• Oral cancer – any lump in the mouth, pain, bleeding, ulcers.
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• Ovarian cancer – abdominal pain, swelling, vaginal bleeding, loss of appetite, feeling sick (nausea), excessive gas (wind), a bloated, full feeling, unexplained weight gain, swelling in the abdomen (this may be due to a build up of fluid (ascites), which can also cause shortness of breath), pain in the lower abdomen, changes in bowel or bladder habits, such as constipation, diarrhoea or needing to pass urine more often than usual, lower back pain, pain during sex.
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• Pancreatic cancer – abdominal swelling, pain, weight loss, back pain, yellowish skin color.
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• Prostate cancer – back pain, pain in the pelvis, frequent urinating, difficulty in starting to pass urine, difficulty urinating, pain, blood in urine, a poor or weak flow of urine, urgently needing to pass water, passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night, blood in the urine, although this is uncommon.
  Do not be too concerned initially as many of these symptoms may well be nothing more than symptoms of an enlarged prostate (common in men over 50), but do NOT ignore the symptoms, have them checked as prostate cancer is one of the commonest killers of men.
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• Stomach cancer – vomiting blood or blood in the stool, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.
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• Uterine cancer – pain in the pelvic area, bleeding, painful urination, pain during intercourse.