So, if you have unusual swelling or a lump, you should see your doctor to figure out what's going on. Here are some of the more common signs and symptoms that may be caused by cancer. However, any of these can be caused by other problems as well. Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn't get better with rest.
Bend your elbows. Look carefully at your fingernails, palms, forearms (including the undersides), and upper arms. Examine the back, front and sides of your legs. Also look around your genital area and between your buttocks.
You should see your doctor if you notice a change that isn't normal for you. Or if you have any of the possible signs and symptoms of cancer. Even if you're worried about what the symptom might be, don't delay seeing them. Your worry is unlikely to go away if you don't make an appointment.
Bumps that are cancerous are typically large, hard, painless to the touch and appear spontaneously. The mass will grow in size steadily over the weeks and months. Cancerous lumps that can be felt from the outside of your body can appear in the breast, testicle, or neck, but also in the arms and legs.
The number stages are: stage 0 – the cancer is where it started (in situ) and hasn't spread. stage 1 – the cancer is small and hasn't spread anywhere else. stage 2 – the cancer has grown, but hasn't spread.
A tumor may feel more like a rock than a grape. A cancerous lump is usually hard, not soft or squishy. And it often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth, Dr. Comander says.
Tumours have been known to disappear spontaneously, in the absence of any targeted treatment, usually after an infection (bacterial, viral, fungal or even protozoal).
It's good to be aware of what your body usually looks and feels like. But there's no need to check yourself at a set time or in a set way. If you notice anything unusual for you, listen to your body and tell your doctor. Spotting cancer at an early stage can save lives.
Cancer pain may be mild, moderate or severe. It may take several forms, such as feeling like a sharp stabbing pain that comes and goes, a tingling or burning sensation or a persistent ache. Cancer pain affects your quality of life. It can make certain cancer symptoms and treatment side effects feel worse.
Cancer pain can be described as dull aching, pressure, burning, or tingling. The type of pain often gives clues about the sources of the pain. For example, pain caused by damage to nerves is usually described as burning or tingling, whereas pain affecting internal organs is often described as a sensation of pressure.
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.
It can develop silently within the body, sometimes without noticeable symptoms, until it reaches an advanced stage. This can make early detection and diagnosis challenging. However, doctors can diagnose many cancers early, even before symptoms develop.
Accurately diagnosing cancer can take weeks or months. As cancer often develops slowly over several years, waiting for a few weeks will not usually impact on the effectiveness of treatment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced referral guidelines for suspected cancer.
Depending on your age at diagnosis, the tumour may eventually cause your death. Or you may live a full life and die from something else. It will depend on your tumour type, where it is in the brain, and how it responds to treatment. Brain tumours can also be fast growing (high grade) and come back despite treatment.
Benign masses are more likely to be painful to the touch, such as with an abscess. Benign tumors also tend to grow more slowly, and many are smaller than 5 cm (2 inches) at their longest point. Sarcomas (cancerous growths) more often are painless.
Stage I: The cancer is localized to a small area and hasn't spread to lymph nodes or other tissues. Stage II: The cancer has grown, but it hasn't spread. Stage III: The cancer has grown larger and has possibly spread to lymph nodes or other tissues. Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs or areas of your body.
A term used to describe cancer that is far along in its growth, and has spread to the lymph nodes or other places in the body.
Stage 1 cancer is also curable, especially when caught in its early stages. The earlier you detect cancer, the higher your odds are of curing it before it becomes severe.
Most cancer pain is caused by the tumour pressing on bones, nerves or other organs in the body. Sometimes pain is due to your cancer treatment. For example, some chemotherapy drugs can cause numbness and tingling in your hands and feet.
X-rays can be used to look for and examine some types of tumours. Most tumours are soft tissue and do not show up well on x-ray. Lung tumours show up well because of the air around them in the lungs. An x-ray cannot always show the difference between a cancerous (malignant) tumour and a non-cancerous (benign) tumour.