15 cancer signs in men and women

1. Changes in testicles

The most common age group for testicular cancer is 20-39 years old. The American Cancer Society recommends that men should perform self-examinations of their testicles every month, including changes in testicle size, obvious swelling or shrinkage, lumps in the scrotum, scrotal pain, etc. If there are any problems, they should seek medical attention immediately. In particular, if you feel a heaviness in your scrotum, as if there is a coal lump inside, and the feeling persists for more than a week, you should seek medical attention immediately. This is the most typical precursor to testicular cancer and requires blood tests and scrotal ultrasound.

2. Problems with urination

As men age, urinary problems become more common, with frequent urination, urgency or incomplete urination being more common. If symptoms worsen, especially if you feel a strong urgency to urinate, you should be alert to prostate cancer. A digital rectal examination should usually be done, and your doctor will tell you whether you have an enlarged prostate, which is a major symptom of prostate cancer.

3. Abdominal distension

Many women think that bloating is extremely common and nothing to be alarmed about. However, it could be a symptom of ovarian cancer. Liu Juntian, director of the Cancer Prevention Medicine Center of Tianjin Cancer Hospital, said that persistent abdominal swelling, pressure and pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, difficulty eating or an easy feeling of fullness that lasts for several weeks may be signs of ovarian cancer.

4. Irregular bleeding

American oncologist Dr. Daly said that abnormal vaginal bleeding between menstrual cycles and bleeding in urine and stool can easily be ignored by women. They are likely to be a major sign of endometrial cancer, a common gynecological cancer. At least 3/4 of women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer after experiencing these symptoms. Bleeding in the stool may be a sign of colon cancer.

5. Unexplained weight loss

It is indeed gratifying to be able to lose weight without any effort, but if your weight drops by 10% inexplicably within a month without increasing your exercise or reducing your diet, you should seek medical attention immediately. Rapid weight loss, anorexia, recurrent diarrhea and constipation are the most common symptoms of lung cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer and colorectal cancer. For women, they may also be hyperthyroidism.

6. Persistent abdominal pain and depression

Dr. Leonardo Lichtenfield, an official of the American Cancer Society, said that if you have persistent abdominal pain and accompanied by symptoms of depression, you are likely to have pancreatic cancer. Because experts have found that depression is closely related to pancreatic cancer. Other symptoms may include jaundice or unusually gray stools.

7. Fatigue

Generally speaking, feeling tired is a sign that cancer has progressed, but for leukemia, colon cancer, and stomach cancer, you may feel tired in the early stages of the disease. What is the difference between cancer fatigue and ordinary fatigue? Experts from the American Cancer Society say that ordinary fatigue will disappear after a rest, but cancer fatigue will be difficult to improve no matter how much rest you get.

8. Coughing

Dr. Lanette Michelle of Georgetown University School of Medicine said that if the unexplained cough persists for more than 3-4 weeks, you should see a doctor immediately as it may be a sign of lung cancer or laryngeal cancer.

9. Difficulty swallowing

Dr. Lichtenfield said that long-term difficulty in swallowing may be a sign of laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, and should be examined by chest X-ray or gastroscopy as soon as possible. Liu Juntian introduced that the so-called dysphagia generally refers to pain behind the sternum and a foreign body sensation in the esophagus when eating. Some people will feel like there are leaves, debris or rice-like objects attached to the esophageal wall even if they are not eating. After swallowing food, they will feel that the food goes down slowly or even stays in the esophagus.

10. Skin changes

Dr. Mary Daly, an oncologist at the Fox Chase Cancer Research Center in Philadelphia, USA, reminds us that sudden appearance of lumps or pigmentation on the skin and obvious changes may be signs of skin cancer. After a few weeks of observation, you should seek medical attention immediately. In addition, regardless of age, if your skin suddenly bleeds or peels abnormally, you should see a doctor.

11. Abnormal bleeding

Dr. Micheli said that in addition to hemorrhoids, blood in the stool may also be a symptom of colorectal cancer, and if necessary, one should undergo colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Chen Shan, chief physician of the Urology Department of Beijing Tongren Hospital, also reminded that middle-aged and elderly people over 40 years old, except for women during menstruation, if they experience painless hematuria or difficulty urinating, they should be alert to bladder cancer or kidney cancer. In addition to blood in the stool, if the tumor grows near the anus, intestinal cancer may also cause symptoms such as thinner stools, increased frequency of stools, and even difficulty in defecation.