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Some studies have shown that women are more likely vigilant than men about taking cancer screenings and healthy check-ups. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that all women always care to their health, particularly younger women. In fact, there are still many young women who tend to ignore signs that may point to a cancer.
Furthermore, there is an opinion that cancer only occurs in elderly people. ‘Yes’ many different types of cancer may be more common in elderly, but sometimes these diseases can strike younger than you think! You might also like to read the previous post about best foods to prevent cancer, before continuing!
One thing you should clearly understand that it’s very important to find or diagnose a cancer at most early stage. Because an earlier stage of cancer is much easier to be treated than others that are diagnosed at later stages!
The following are some facts of cancer symptoms and signs that are often ignored by women.
Pain in the lower right side and pain in the back
Sometimes a breast cancer is diagnosed through back pain -- particularly when cells of cancer have spread to the ribs /spine of patient, or when a tumor in the breast presses backward into the patient’s chest.
Pain in the back may also be an early sign of liver cancer. Moreover, people who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer also often recall having had this symptom (chronic back pain) that unrelieved by painkillers.
In addition, you are more likely to have various pains and aches as you age, but pain - as vague as it may be, sometimes also can be early sign of certain cancers. When you have pain, and if it persists and occurs without any clearly reason, you should start to ask yourself whether there is something wrong in the body. To keep safe and to find a clearly diagnosis, see a doctor promptly if you in doubt to your condition!
Pain in the abdominal and pelvic
Pains in the pelvic and abdomen can be caused by a lot of things! But in fact, they are also one of common early symptoms for some serious health conditions, like ovarian cysts, fibroid, and even ovarian cancer & leukemia. Therefore, you should not ignore these signs, particularly if they persist over time.
In addition, women who have abdomen pain and followed with depression also should be closely evaluated. A study has shown that there is a link between pancreatic cancer and depression, though this link is still a poorly understood -- more studies are required!
A very prolonged cough!
Coughs are usually expected with some mild health problems, particularly like allergies, flu, colds, or even you may also have cold after taking a certain medication.
But when you have a persistent cough or if it last longer (more than 3-4 weeks), this may signal a serious health condition such as cancer. And for this case it should not be ignored, particularly if you are also a smoker -- ask doctor to closely examine the lung, throat, and your overall health! Read also smoking side effects for women!
In addition, patients with lung cancer may also experience chest pain. This chest pain may also extend from shoulder to arm. Furthermore, chest pain also can be a warning sign of a heart attack, especially for men.
Wrong perception in wheezing
Many women think that wheezing is expected with asthma. There is nothing wrong with this opinion, but did you know that wheezing or shortness of breath may also point to a lung cancer, particularly if you never have it before?! However, any difficulties associated with breathing should not be ignored!
Dry scaly patches /small waxy lumps on the skin
There are some common symptoms of skin cancer, but in fact early signs like small waxy lumps and even dry scaly patches are often ignored. See a doctor promptly if these signs don’t heal, easily to bleed, or become crusty to find a clearly diagnosis!
To keep safe, it’s much better to be vigilant about checking & examining skin all over your body to make sure that there is nothing wrong. Don’t forget to familiarize yourself with more information about different types of skin cancer.
Fever without known reason!
It is another vague sign that also could point to a cancer or other serious health problems, particularly for fever that is not caused /explained by common infection such as influenza. Did you know that fever is also one of pretty common cancer signs, especially when the cells of cancer have spread from their original site.
According to ACS (the American Cancer Society) -- unexplained fever or fever with unknown reason may point to lymphoma or other early blood cancers. Sometimes fever of cancer symptom may also be followed with changes of the stool (particularly a change for the color of the stool).
Something wrong with your weight loss!
Having healthy weight /ideal weight is helpful for overall health of your body. But experiencing weight loss (or even drastically weight loss such as ten pounds a month) and at the same time you don’t have any change to your exercise (the amount of physical activity a day doesn’t increase) and to your diet, this may be a sign that there is something wrong!
In many cases, unexplained weight loss can be one of early symptoms for cancers that affect digestive system (like colon cancer). This also may point to a condition when cells of cancer have spread to the liver which then usually will cause loss of appetite and other problems.
In addition, sometimes unexplained weight loss also can point to an overactive thyroid.
Having indigestion!
Everyone can experience indigestion, a pregnant woman for instance. But when you have unexplained indigestion, this may signal a red flag. It may be an early sign of certain cancers, such as cancers of throat, esophagus, or stomach.
What else you need to know?
- About upset stomach! It may be often associated with stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer, but did you know that frequent upset stomach may also point to a colorectal cancer?!
- Unable to eat /loss of appetite /feeling full quickly! This is also another vague sign that may point to an ovarian cancer, particularly if it lasts over time and also followed with pelvic pain.
- Mouth changes, such as white spots on your tongue and white patches inside the mouth! These are more likely to occur in smokers. They may signal a leukoplakia (precancerous condition) which then can lead to an oral cancer – according to ACS.
- Problems associated with swallowing /difficulty swallowing! There are some health conditions that can cause difficulty swallowing, and throat cancer is one of them. Moreover, sometimes difficulty swallowing may also be an early sign of lung cancer.
- Bloating! This is very common, and anyone can have it. But sometimes it may also point to an ovarian cancer, particularly if it persists more than a few weeks, occurs almost every day, and also followed with other common symptoms of ovarian cancer such as pelvic pain, abdominal pain, and feeling full quickly.
Abnormal bleeding
There are some conditions of abnormal bleeding that may point to a cancer.
Abnormal bleeding associated with leukemia
You should ask to yourself whether there is something wrong with the plateletsand red blood cells in your body if you often experience bleeding that doesn’t stop or have excessive bruising. Because sometimes these signs may point to leukemia!
Leukemia cells can affect the ability of platelets and red blood cells to carry clot and oxygen. Therefore, women with leukemia usually experience excessive bruising in certain strange places (such as on hands and fingers). Another symptom that may occur is bleeding gums.
Blood in the stool and cough with blood
Coughing up blood must not be ignored, particularly if it occurs more than once! Cough with blood can be caused by some health conditions, including the possibility of a cancer.
Another bleeding in wrong place that must be concerned is blood in the stool. It can be a sign of mild health problems, but it also can signal a certain cancer (particularly such as colon cancer). See a doctor immediately if you experience this symptom to keep safe and find a clearly diagnosis!
Bleeding between your menstrual periods!
Between periods, women of childbearing age should not have any bleeding expected with menstrual cycles. This abnormal bleeding is easier to be noticed in women with regular periods. But unfortunately in fact, there are many young women who often ignore the sign of bleeding between periods.
Bleeding between periods (particularly if beforehand you never spots between your periods) should be closely examined to make sure there is nothing wrong in your body. This abnormal bleeding may point to endometrial cancer. Read also diseases associated with irregular period spotting!
Furthermore, bleeding after menopause also should be concerned. The natural menstrual periods of women will naturally stop after menopause, therefore bleeding after menopause can be categorized into abnormal bleeding. See also the previous post about post-menopausal bleeding!
Breast /nipple changes
Most women completely know the condition of their breasts, even without doing regularly self-exams. But there are also vague signs that often ignored, such as thickening of the skin and redness on the skin of the breasts. If these symptoms persist over weeks, they should be closely examined!
Nipple changes also should be concerned, particularly if these occur when you are not pregnant or without known reason. A nipple that begins to appear inverted, flattened, or even turned sideways may point to a breast cancer. Sometimes scaly, itchy, or crusty skin on the nipple also may occur due to the inflammatory breast cancer.
You might also like to know more about best foods to prevent breast cancer!
Nail changes
Sometimes changes in nails also may point to some different kinds of cancer, particularly if these occur with unknown reason.
Pale nails can signal something wrong with the liver, which may be an early symptom of liver cancer. And abnormal changes in nails, particularly when they curve down over the tips with the enlarged ends of fingers may also point to a lung cancer.
Fatigue /weakness
In general, weakness and fatigue can be caused by a lot of factors. If there is a clearly reason of your weakness (such as being pregnant, having lack of sleep, etc) then you may not need to worry a lot.
But for unexplained fatigue /weakness, this can be a sign of many different types of cancer or other serious health conditions, particularly if you experience unexplained fatigue that also followed with other serious symptoms.
According to the American Cancer Society -- unexplained weakness is one of early signs of stomach cancer, colon cancer, or leukemia.
Lymph node changes
A swelling /lump in the lymph nodes (like in the neck or under the armpit or grain, or anywhere else) should not be ignored, because this could be worrisome and even may signal a serious problem.
In general, enlargement of lymph nodes is one of indications of changes in the lymphatic system, which may lead to cancer. A lump or painless lump underarm /grain or lump on the neck may point to early stage of leukemia. Sometimes lump under the arm may also be an early sign of a breast cancer.
If you notice any swellings or lumps and if they persist more than a month and also get progressively larger, see a doctor promptly for a clearly diagnosis and more advice!
