How long can you have cancer without knowing it? While some cancers grow very quickly, other cancers are very slow growing and can even go undetected for ten years or more. One example is certain types of thyroid cancer, which are very slow growing and may never spread beyond the thyroid gland.
Based on their modeling, an ovarian tumor could grow unnoticed for at least 10 years to a size of 25.36 millimeters, or about the size of a large grape, before being detectable by a blood test for CA125.
Stage 4 Cancer Symptoms
The symptoms of metastatic cancer depend on the type of cancer and, more importantly, where the metastases have occurred.1 In some cases, there are no symptoms at all, so it's possible to have stage 4 cancer and not know it.
It is hard to believe that some cancers miraculously disappear, but it does happen. Over 1,000 case studies document cancer sufferers who experienced spontaneous regression of their tumour.
Years or even decades may pass before they cause noticeable symptoms. During this time, the cancer may go undetected. Cancer may also go undetected because of factors such as an individual's overall health and medical conditions that may cause symptoms similar to cancer.
Moles that change colour, shape or size. Chest pain or a chest infection that doesn't get better. A cough that doesn't go away or difficulty swallowing. Feeling tired or weak when it is unexpected.
Pancreatic cancer is hard to find early. The pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumors can't be seen or felt by health care providers during routine physical exams. People usually have no symptoms until the cancer has become very large or has already spread to other organs.
Growths suggestive of the bone cancer called osteosarcoma have been seen in mummies. Bony skull destruction as seen in cancer of the head and neck has been found, too. Our oldest description of cancer (although the word cancer was not used) was discovered in Egypt and dates back to about 3000 BC.
Cancer can recur in the same place as the original tumor or in other places in the body if the tumor cells spread. Cancerous cells can lie dormant for years.
Sometimes symptoms affect specific areas of the body, such as our tummy or skin. But signs can also be more general, and include weight loss, tiredness (fatigue) or unexplained pain. Some possible signs of cancer, like a lump, are better known than others.
Scientists have found that for most breast and bowel cancers, the tumours begin to grow around ten years before they're detected. And for prostate cancer, tumours can be many decades old. “They've estimated that one tumour was 40 years old. Sometimes the growth can be really slow,” says Graham.
A rare cancer can be difficult to diagnose. To find out and understand what type of cancer you have, you may be referred to more than one specialist. You may need to have more tests than people with more common cancers.
Lumps that could be cancer might be found by imaging tests or felt as lumps during a physical exam, but they still must be sampled and looked at under a microscope to find out what they really are. Not all lumps are cancer. In fact, most tumors are not cancer.
Silent cancers include breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. Screening is an essential tool for preventing and early diagnosis of such cancers.
In cancer care, this blood test can be used to help diagnose a cancer or monitor how cancer or its treatment is affecting your body. For example, people undergoing chemotherapy often receive regular CBCs. In cancer care, a CBC is used to: Help diagnose some blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.
The fatigue felt by people with cancer is different from the fatigue of daily life and different from the tired feeling people might remember having before they had cancer. People with cancer might describe it as feeling very weak, listless, drained, or “washed out” that may decrease for a while but then comes back.
Tumour markers are substances that might be raised if there is a cancer. They're usually proteins. They can be found in the blood, urine or body tissues. You might also hear them called biomarkers or molecular markers.
Know when to call your doctor by using the 2-week rule: If you notice a subtle change in your normal health and it lasts 2 weeks or more, it's time to explore what is causing the change. Your doctor wants to hear from you before a small problem becomes a bigger, more complex one.
Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn't get better with rest. Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Fatigue. Lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin. Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain. Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles.