Everybody knows something about cancer! And its no wonder since last year (2022) 1,918,030 new cases were projected to appear in the United States only. Considering that the internet is overly full of information about cancer – be it true or false, caregiver or patient based – yet another blog post on it seems like no more than a drop of water in a never-ending ocean. The problem is that no matter how much we try to accommodate ourselves with it, cancer remains the real thing and horrible diagnosis which nobody hopes to hear about. All this being said, the wonderful work done by the volunteers from Genç Birikim Derneği is not here to fill the internet pages, nor to scare people off with more dramatic insights on cancer. Because fighting means courage and courage comes from understanding. So, in the following article we will try to help you actually understand the early signs and symptoms of cancer and make good use of their warning.
First thing we need to acknowledge when talking about cancer is that there is no one type of cancer and nobody will ever diagnose it based on a google search! In other words: if you think it’s cancer, it probably isn’t! There is a good reason for which they call it the silent killer – because it really is silent! The very early stages of cancer take place at a cellular level, so no matter how much you’ll look in the mirror and wonder about it, there will be nothing to see. Luckily for us, our bodies react pretty fast to any kind of change, even at micro level, so there are a few things we could be aware of. Through your read, please keep in mind that the age and clinical context of each of the following is very relevant and there are numerous other conditions which could be the cause of them. Seeing a doctor is always a must, since prevention and early treatment are a good way to go in any situation.
Pain: From the point of view of the basic biological phenomenon that it is, cancer is just cells who don´t die - so, when it gets too crowded, it might simply start to hurt. That is, even before you could actually see a lump of tissue, you could feel the pain of that extra tissue. It might feel like a toned down pain, insidious and most probably not sudden. It might start like a small discomfort who doesn´t go away and for which you cannot find a proper explanation.
Weight loss: More cells mean more energy consumed, so one might start to lose weight without changing anything in particular in their eating or exercising habits. In fact, unexplained weight loss is one of the most common early signs of cancer, because, unlike pain, there are not so many things that can lead to it. It is considered that losing 10% or more of your total body weight indicates something might be faulty and needs to be investigated.
Fever: Similar to pain, fever is a very common symptom in many different illnesses and conditions. One doesn´t always think it could be an early sign of cancer, but if there is no better explanation and it doesn´t seem to go away, fever could announce the presence of a pathological development of the tissues. Low to medium temperatures, who tend to fluctuate independently of any external factor sometimes come along with those cells who don´t want to die.
Tiredness: There might not be any weight loss, but that extra energy consumed by the pathological tissue can lead to feeling drained and exhausted even on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. It´s that kind of tiredness that sticks to you after a good night´s sleep, and which no coffee can alleviate. What some might take as a sign of depression could actually be a silent cancer warning!
Swelling: in the same ballpark as weight loss, unexplained swelling is another early sign of tumors or cancers. Lumps and nodules, not necessarily hurtful, should immediately be investigated because there aren´t many conditions which can lead to these. However, keep in mind that lipomas are very common and completely benign, so one shouldn´t prepare for what´s worse just because of foodie lump.
These are five of the early signs and symptoms of cancer. The list could continue but it could also be shorter because, in the end, anything and nothing at all could be considered a sign of cancer. There are still many things we don´t know about this illness, but there are also many things we do know - and one of these is the famous quote “The sooner, the better”! So, don´t let the general practitioner miss you! Go ask, investigate and
Because our focus in this particular article is on the early stages of the disease, for the time being we’ll only refer to the signs of cancer, its symptoms pertaining to further evolution and read. Signs, unlike symptoms, can be seen and measured objectively, so if you experience them you should probably see a doctor, be it cancer or not!