BackThe 10 top cancer symptoms to be aware of
According to WHO, the number of cases of cancer is steadily increasing. Experts predict that the number of cases will double to 22,000,000 per year by 2022. Most deaths occur in lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancers. The most effective treatment for cancer today is early detection.
In this regard, OLYMP CDL brings to your attention 10 early symptoms of cancer, which everyone should know about, and in their presence immediately seek help from specialists.
COUGH
A minor cough in a non-smoker is considered acceptable within one month. If the cough is prolonged, periodically there is a feeling of suffocation, and expectorate drops of blood, then this is a reason for immediate medical attention. The situation is aggravated if the patient is a chronic smoker. In this case, the doctor suspects tuberculosis or lung cancer.
Who to see: pulmonologist, primary care physician
Screening tests: fluorography, oncomarker CYFRA, NSE
URINARY PROBLEMS
Urinary problems can be of the following types:
• Difficulty urinating: difficulty passing urine, weak urine pressure
• Urinary "leakage" and incontinence
• Frequent urination at night.
• Blood in the urine (reddish coloured urine)
When urinary disorders occur, two organs may be affected: the bladder and the prostate gland (in men). If the symptoms appear in a man, he will have to undergo an unpleasant procedure of finger rectal examination.
Who to see: urologist
Screening tests: total and free PSA, CYFRA, bladder ultrasound, prostate ultrasound
BREAST LUMP
Breast cancer poses the greatest danger to women, as it is one of the most common neoplasms in the weaker sex. According to the number of breast cancer deaths, this pathology ranks third among all cancer diseases. In this regard, if you happen to find any lumps in your breasts - immediately consult a mammologist. It is worth adding that breast tumors can also occur in men.
Who to see: mammologist
Screening tests: oncomarker CA 15-3, breast ultrasound
DISCOMFORT WHEN SWALLOWING
Due to national and cultural customs, oesophageal cancer is common in Kazakhstan. One of its main symptoms is impaired swallowing (dysphagia). In the beginning it is difficult to swallow solid food, then the passage of liquids becomes more difficult. The patient may experience various sensations behind the sternum and in the throat area: pain, heaviness, "scratching", a feeling of "stuck" food.
Who to see: gastroenterologist
Screening tests: FEGDS, contrast radiography of the oesophagus
HEARTBURN
Constantly tormenting heartburn - a good reason to consult a gastroenterologist. Very often patients treat this symptom with a certain degree of neglect and self-treatment. And it happens that a banal gastritis or ulcer gets out of control and develops into stomach cancer, which is considered the fourth most common cancer in Kazakhstan.
Who to see: gastroenterologist
Screening tests: FEGDS; oncomarker CA 72-4, CA 19-9
SKIN CHANGES
There is a folk omen that you can not count birthmarks on the body. However, this is not entirely true: if you notice that you have a dramatic increase in the number of "moles" on your body, or one "mole" has noticeably increased in size, has begun to bleed, or there is a long non-healing wound, it is worth taking the time to go to the hospital. The doctor may suspect melanoma, a malignant skin cancer.
Who to see: dermatologist, oncologist
Screening tests: skin biopsy, S100 oncomarker
WEIGHT LOSS
If the patient has begun to lose weight, while he does not follow any special diet or does not engage in heavy regular physical work, it is worth thinking about it. If a doctor encounters such a symptom, he first of all suspects tuberculosis and any oncological pathology. The cancer cells are a kind of "young, growing organism" which is always demanding "food" for its growth. The patient therefore begins to lose weight gradually. The doctor is faced with the difficult task of excluding or confirming a cancer diagnosis and detecting the affected organ.
Who to see: primary care physician
Screening examinations: fluorography, profile "Male, Female Oncoprofile"
ABDOMINAL PAIN
The abdomen is one of the most complex anatomical areas of the human body due to the large number of organs located there. If there are complaints of constant pain in the abdominal region of varying intensity, with no connection to any harmful influencing factor, if the pain suddenly occurs and also suddenly disappears, the patient should be thoroughly examined. The following are under suspicion: stomach, liver and gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, intestines and female organs (uterus, ovaries).
Who to see: primary care physician
Screening tests: ultrasound of abdominal organs, pelvic organs, FEGDS, oncomarkers AFP, REA, CA 19-9, CA 125 and HE 4 (for women), CA 72-4.
BLOOD IN FECES
Often patients, especially men, consider problems related to this delicate area as shameful and avoid going to the doctor until the last minute. And for nothing! If blood is found in the feces or on the toilet paper, then do not delay in identifying the cause. Haemorrhoids or rectal fissures can give serious complications if not treated in time. But the most to be feared is rectal cancer.
Who to see: proctologist
Screening tests: colonoscopy, oncomarker СEA
ENLARGED AND PAINFUL LYMPH NODES
Lymph nodes are a collector of foreign elements in our body. They are the first to react to infection and oncological diseases. Metastases from various tumors most often "settle" in them. If your attention is drawn to painful, enlarged lymph nodes of dense consistency of any localisation (cervical, inguinal, hamstring...), it is worth making an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. There are many causes of such conditions, including cancer of any organs.
Who to see: primary care physician
Screening tests: ultrasound of lymph nodes, profile "Male, female oncoprofile"
Attention! You can be examined for all the above mentioned oncomarkers in any treatment room of the OLYMP CDL branches
Read also: "What oncomarkers can tell about", "Prostate-specific antigen and men's health".
Tags:
Cancer Symptoms; oncomarkers; cancer screening; oncological screening