10 Cancer Symptoms Most People Ignore

1. Persistent cough or hoarseness

While occasional cough here and there is nothing to be worried about, a

consistent cacophony or a cough accompanied by blood is definitely cause for
concern. Most coughs are not cancer, says Therese Bartholomew Bevers, M.D.,
professor of clinical cancer prevention and the medical director of the Cancer
Prevention Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. But certainly a persistent
cough needs to be evaluated to see if it could be lung cancer. Your physician
should recommend a chest X-ray or CT scan to rule out cancer as a possibility.

2. Persistent change in bowel habits

When your bowel movements arent as easy as they used to be, or your
stool appears larger than normal or somewhat deformed,, this could be a sign of
colon cancer, says Dr. Bevers. It could be a sign that there is a mass impeding
the transit of the stool from the bowel, she says. This is a symptom where a
person should go to the doctor and schedule a colonoscopy to see if there
indeed is a mass.
3. Persistent change in bladder habits
If there is blood in the urine, then this symptom could be indicative of
bladder or kidney cancer, but more commonly this is a sign of a urinary tract
infection, says Dr. Bevers. Check for an infection first, and then pursue other
treatment options.
4. Persistent unexplained pain
Most pain is not a sign of cancer, but persistent pain must be checked
out, says Dr. Bevers. If you have persistent headaches, for example, you likely
dont have brain cancerbut it is still something that must be looked into.
Persistent pain in the chest could be a sign of lung cancer. And pain in your
abdomen could be ovarian cancer.
5. Change in the appearance of a mole
 While not all moles are indicative of melanoma, spotting a new mark or
one that has changed is something you should bring up with a dermatologist
who can screen for skin cancer, says Dr. Bevers.
6. A sore that does not heal
If you have a sore thats hanging on past the three-week mark, you
should bring it up with your doctor. We would have expected our body to have
healed itself by now, says Dr. Bevers, and you should absolutely get that
checked out. That kind of sore could be a sign of carcinoma.
7. Unexpected bleeding in women with monthly period
Vaginal bleedingoutside of your normal cyclecould be an early sign of
cervical cancer, while bleeding from the rectum could indicate colon cancer,
says Dr. Bevers.
8. Unexplained weight loss
As adults, we try very hard to lose weight, says Dr. Bevers. But if
weight is falling off of you without any effort on your part, then that is a big
concern and can be indicative of a serious medical problem. One of those
problems could be malignancy or a tumor, she is assertive.
9. An unexplained lump
Any time you have a lump that is new or a lump that is changing, that is
something you should absolutely have looked at by your doctor, says Dr.
Bevers. While it could be a benign cyst (and probably it is), it could also be a
cancer that is in the subterranean tissue. A lump in the breast, of course, is a
very common symptom of breast cancer. See your physician to get more
information on other symptoms.
10. Persistent difficulty in swallowing
Two types of cancers may be the reason for this difficulty, including neck
and esophageal cancer. People who see these symptoms will often start to
modify their diets, eating softer foods without thinking there could be a more
serious issue.