Symptoms of six common cancers
By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Cancer is much more likely to be curable if the symptoms are caught early. In fact, with certain types of cancer, such as ovarian and prostate cancer, early detection can make an enormous difference in prognosis and outcome.
It’s worthwhile to be hypervigilant, then, in watching for cancer symptoms and aggressive about asking for screening tests and checkups to make sure you and the people you care about are in good health–and stay that way.
Here are symptoms of some of the most common cancers, along with important risk factors.
Prostate cancer symptoms:
- Difficulty urinating: either trouble getting started or weak or interrupted flow
- The need to urinate often, particularly at night
- Pain or burning during urination
- Blood in urine or semen
- Erection problems
- Pain during ejaculation or difficulty ejaculating
- Stiffness or pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
Note: Many men — more than half of those in their 60s — suffer from benign prostatic hypertrophy, a set of symptoms similar to those for prostate cancer (in which the prostate becomes enlarged). This common condition is annoying, but it’s neither a disease nor a life-threatening condition. Any male who has had prostate problems should have a regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and be monitored for prostate cancer. Additional risk factors include a family history of prostate cancer or being African-American.
Breast cancer symptoms:
- A lump or thickening in the breast or underarm area
- Tenderness in the breast or nipple
- A change in breast or nipple shape
- Nipple discharge
- Red, swollen, or scaly skin on the breast or nipple
Note: Other factors that increase risk — men can get breast cancer, too — are family history (particularly breast cancer in the mother or sister), a diet high in saturated fat, obesity, early onset of menses or late menopause, being childless or being older at the birth of a first child, and taking hormones. A genetic mutation known as the BRCA gene (most common in those of Eastern European Jewish descent) greatly increases the risk of breast cancer, particularly when combined with a family history of the disease.
Colorectal cancer symptoms:
- Constipation
- Blood in the stool
- Narrow or thin stools
- Stomach cramps
- Gas and bloating
- Sense of fullness after eating small amounts
- Nausea and vomiting
Note: Because many of the signs of colorectal cancer can easily be confused with the symptoms of some digestive disorders, it’s important to monitor them carefully and inform the doctor if digestive problems reappear frequently, don’t clear up quickly, or become chronic. For this reason, regular screening via colonoscopy for colorectal cancer is recommended for everyone over 50.
Having polyps removed from your colon or a history of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, puts you at increased risk for colorectal cancer. Family history is also important with colon cancer, as is race. African-Americans and Jews of Eastern European descent are at particular risk for colorectal cancer. Eating a diet high in animal fat and low in fruits and vegetables is also a risk factor.
Lung cancer symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic cough
- A change in a chronic cough
- Pain or aching when coughing or breathing
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing
Note: If you or someone you’re caring for was or is a smoker, you’ll want to bring this to the doctor’s attention, even if it was a long time ago. Smoking for any period greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. Exposure to secondhand smoke and certain chemicals is also a risk factor.
Ovarian cancer symptoms:
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Urgent need to urinate
- Frequent urination
- Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
Note: Family history is one of the most important risk factors for ovarian cancer. And those with the BRCA genetic mutation (most common in those of Eastern European Jewish descent) are at risk for ovarian cancer as well as breast cancer.
General cancer symptoms (cancer of unspecified origin):
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Jaundice
- Nausea
Note: Sometimes a person shows signs of declining health but doesn’t have pain or other symptoms in a particular area of the body. This can be a sign of cancer that started in one spot but has spread to the liver or other organs and is affecting overall health. Sometimes a tumor is discovered because it has grown big enough to press on other organs.
Symptoms of Six Common Cancers originally appeared on Caring.com.
More healthy and green articles from Care2:
- Cancer Risk Related to Finger Length
- Surprising First Symptom of Lung Cancer?
- Perimenopausal Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of six common cancers
Tags: prostate specific antigen test, screening tests, enormous difference, benign prostatic hypertrophy, breast cancer, genetic mutation, types of cancer
I genuinely prize your work , Great post.
Intimately, the post is in reality the greatest on this worthy topic. I fit in with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your coming updates. Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the extraordinary clarity in your writing. I will immediately grab your rss feed to stay abreast of any updates. Authentic work and much success in your business efforts!
You have remarked very interesting points ! ps nice website . “In music the passions enjoy themselves.” by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.
totally new towards the world wide web!
Only wanna remark on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the content is really great. “We can only learn to love by loving.” by Iris Murdoch.
I was reading through some of your content on this internet site and I believe this site is rattling instructive! Keep on posting.
brilliant writing, interesting and right to the point
There’s noticeably a bundle to learn about this. I assume you made certain nice points in options also.
How come you dont have your website viewable in mobile format? Can not see anything in my iPhone.
fairly beneficial material, on the whole I picture this is worthy of a bookmark, thanks
Fairly insightful publish. Never thought that it was this simple after all. I had spent a excellent deal of my time looking for someone to explain this topic clearly and you’re the only one that ever did that. Kudos to you! Keep it up
As soon as I initially commented I clicked on the
heat whilst chopping the actual
I truly value your piece of work, Great post.
boon place has one particular
I just added this web site to my feed reader, great stuff. Can’t get enough!
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such wonderful info being shared freely out there.
Hey! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I’m experiencing challenge with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting an identical rss drawback? Anyone who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read even more things about it!
I have many DVD’s from a long time and I try to burn them with regular Program, however it doesn’t work for me until I bought Game Copying Software. Now I have like 23 of them done.
I was going to write a similar blog concerning this topic, you beat me to it. You did a nice job! Thanks and I well add your RSS to our blogs. Thanks so much!
Music began playing when I opened up this web site, so irritating!
I really like your writing style, excellent info, thanks for putting up
. “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk” by Laurence J. Peter.
There are some attention-grabbing closing dates in this article however I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I’ll take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like more! Added to FeedBurner as properly
I just lately preferred to thanks for your time over again. I dont know what may properly placed in the lack of the explicit secrets and techniques equipped resulting from your self on variety niche. It truly became a highly inconvenient situation from my opinion, on the other hand , wondering a major professional approach users administered simply that forced me to be with get by excite. What i am it’s essential earnings for a specific make it seemingly to and even do i do hope you locate a rare work one is coming into correct working towards several different this kind of the usage of a net web page. Will begin to you’ve never considered anyone.
Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific site.
I totally agree with jacklyn obama is definitely idiot how to define we at now 13 or 14 trillion us dollars we owe now ya that’s wonderful and everybody discusses bush. Fuck obama that bastard.
Really usefull weblog. i will follow this weblog. maintain up the great work.
Dude. This blog is cool! How do you make it look like this !?
I love your wp template, where did you get a hold of it?
I just added this weblog to my rss reader, great stuff. Can’t get enough!
I am not sure where you’re getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this info for my mission.
Hi there, just changed into alert to your weblog via Google, and located that it is really informative. I am gonna be careful for brussels. I will appreciate when you continue this in future. Numerous other people shall be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
My brother suggested I might like this website. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
There arn’t many websites available that compare with yours. The details included on these pages is awesome and I will be back for more. Make certain to keep posting like this and lots of other people will like your web-site also.
You have an ideal website, nice graphics, movies, layout. That is definitely a must-see web site!
Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!
This post concerning SEO presents clear idea in support of new SEO users that how to do Search engine optimization, thus keep it up. Good work
Hello everyone, I was simply checking out this site and I really appreciate the foundation of the article, very nice work.
I needed to jot down you just a little bit of remark to say thank you as before over the marvelous recommendation you’ve gotten shared on this website. Here is certainly surprisingly beneficiant of you to present freely what exactly most individuals might have distributed for an ebook to earn some money on their own, most significantly curious about that you could presumably have performed it in the event you ever wanted. Those strategies also acted to be the good option to make certain different members have a comparable hobby similar to mine to understand an even deal more with regard to this matter. I imagine there are some more satisfying opportunities ahead for individuals who discover out your blog.
glad to be one of several visitors on this awful internet site : D.
I needed to post you the little bit of note so as to say thanks a lot once again relating to the great tactics you’ve shown at this time. It has been really seriously generous of you to allow unreservedly what exactly most people would have advertised for an ebook to generate some bucks for their own end, most importantly since you might well have tried it if you ever decided. Those concepts in addition worked to be a easy way to understand that someone else have the same zeal just like my own to realize very much more with respect to this issue. I am certain there are numerous more pleasant moments up front for folks who looked over your website.
I’m not sure exactly why but this weblog is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
But a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding style and design.
Brilliant post , I really am trying how to make my site this good looking !
פרסום מאמרים בחינם באתר המאמרים מספר 1 בישראל . האתר בעל possibility יחודית בה גולשי האתר יכולים לשים פרסומות גוגל אדסנס במאמרים שלהם . פרסום מאמרים – אתר 505.co.il
Thanks for your thoughts. One thing really noticed is banks in addition to financial institutions really know the spending practices of consumers plus understand that the majority of people max out there their real credit cards around the holidays. They properly take advantage of this particular fact and start flooding your current inbox in addition to snail-mail box together with hundreds of no interest APR credit card offers just after the holiday season ends. Knowing that in case you are like 98% in the American general public, you’ll jump at the one opportunity to consolidate financial debt and transfer balances for 0 apr interest rates credit cards.
gold investments international corp
Just helpful tips shared beneath! Obtained just optimistic inner thoughts and also dozens of concepts that might be valuable for our blog. Cheers it had been merely yet another determination to be able to commit some more of your time and effort for you to my own launch! Relation