According to the American Cancer Society, significant weight loss happens most often with cancers that affect the stomach, pancreas, esophagus and lung.
The majority of cancer patients lose weight at some point in the course of the disease. Weight is sometimes the sign that leads someone to get diagnosed with cancer, but it may occur at any time, such as during treatment or in the advanced stages of the disease.
Weight loss is common among people with cancer. It may be the first visible sign of the disease. In fact, 40% of people say they had unexplained weight loss when they were first diagnosed with cancer.
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.
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present.
Some causes of unintentional weight loss include: mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) problems with digestion, such as coeliac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Weight loss is common in people with cancer. It might be one of the reasons why you first go to the doctor. There are several causes of weight loss and your doctor can treat many of these. Losing weight is often associated with a loss of appetite.
If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your health care provider. As a rule of thumb, losing more than 5% of your weight over 6 to 12 months may indicate a problem.
A complete blood count (CBC) is a common medical test that your doctor may recommend to monitor your health. 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.
Ovarian, lung, stomach and pancreatic cancers also commonly cause loss of appetite. Tumors release hormones that may distort your body's perception of hunger, making you feel full when you're not. The cancer may cause appetite-reducing symptoms such as nausea, pain, stress, depression and dehydration.
Early signs of stomach cancer
Heartburn: Indigestion, heartburn or symptoms similar to an ulcer may be signs of a stomach tumor. Nausea and vomiting: Some stomach cancer patients have symptoms that include nausea and vomiting. Sometimes, the vomit contains blood.
Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in body weight that occurs even if the person is not trying to lose weight. Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious illness, including cancer or diabetes. Treatment involves identifying the underlying cause of the weight loss.
The thyroid produces certain hormones that regulate the body's metabolism, so an excess of these hormones often causes the body to burn more energy than usual. Burning more energy and calories can lead to unintentional or unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include: fatigue.
Physicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.
So your doctor may start by asking about your personal and family medical history and doing a physical exam. They may order lab tests, imaging tests (scans), or other tests or procedures. You may also need a biopsy, which is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer.
Here is a list of some symptoms you might have if you have cancer related fatigue: lack of energy – you may just want to stay in bed all day. feeling you just cannot be bothered to do much. sleeping problems such as unable to sleep or disturbed sleep.
Fatigue may develop as a symptom of blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, because these cancers start in the bone marrow, which produces red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.