Charlotte Libov reports for NewsMax Health,
Dec. 18, 2012, that a top cancer surgeon says we mistakenly focus on
pain as a sign of cancer. Instead, tip-offs to common types of cancer
are generally not pain, but other signs, such as a new cough or a new
lump on the body. Sometimes, pain occurs only after the cancer has
spread.
Vadim Gushchin, M.D., a cancer surgeon at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical
Center’s Institute for Cancer Care, says to watch out for symptoms like
the five listed below. If you are experiencing one or more of these
symptoms, but you’ve never experienced them before, although the
likelihood is that you don’t cancer, you should get checked out by a
doctor as soon as possible.
1. Sudden Shortness of Breath
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United
States, responsible for nearly 158,700 deaths a year. Sudden shortness
of breath, wheezing, fatigue, and trouble swallowing are sometimes signs
of early lung cancer. Coughing up blood-tinged phlegm is a symptom that
should get immediate attention. While coughing is the number one
symptom of lung cancer, the problem is that nearly all smokers cough.
And, although they are in the minority, people who have never smoked,
especially those exposed to second-hand smoke or radon, can get lung
cancer as well. Smokers should undergo regular low-dose lung CT
screening to catch any possible cancers as early as possible.
2. Unexplained Tiredness
Colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths, kills 50,000
people a year, or one person every 9.3 minutes, and it kills men and
women equally. Symptoms include changes in the stool and bathroom
habits, and fatigue. Because tumors bleed, the loss of blood can cause
weakness and tiredness. People who smoke, drink alcohol excessively, and
those who eat a diet high in red meat and low in fruits, vegetables,
and whole grain are at a higher risk.
3. Sudden Waist Size Gain
Difficulty fastening clothing over a waistline that’s suddenly
expanded may not be a sign of overindulgence, but bloating, which can be
an early symptom of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer kills more women
each year than any other reproductive cancer, in part because early
symptoms tend to be vague. However, bloating of a swollen belly, along
with difficulty eating, feeling full quickly, abnormal menstrual cycles,
gas, or pelvic or lower abdominal pain can be signals of the disease.
4. Yellowing of the Skin
Pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly cancer, typically spreads
with few symptoms. This is why, although fewer than 44,000 develop it
each year, pancreatic cancer ranks as the nation’s fourth leading cancer
killer. One signal is a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes. As
pancreatic cancer grows, it may block the bile duct that carries bile
from the liver to the duodenum. This causes jaundice, which in turn
leads to skin yellowing. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, weight
loss, and abdominal pain.
5. Itchy Breasts
Most women dread finding a lump in their breast because it is the
classic sign of breast cancer. But the first symptom of inflammatory
breast cancer, a less common form of the disease, is an irritated, itchy
breast.
