Early Cancer Diagnosis

Things You Cannot Ignore!

Many cancers now have a cure.

It is more likely to be cured if it is found early.

Also when cancer is found early, you would need

less treatment to get rid of it

       less side effect from the treatment

       fewer complications

       better quality of life

       longer life expectancy

It is important that you know the things to look out for and when they happen, you must see a doctor. Please do not ignore the complaints. It may not be cancer, but it is always good to check.

When to worry !

If you have these complaints, you must see a doctor immediately

Problems with the chest

Coughing persistently for more than four weeks especially if you are smoker or ex-smoker.

If you are coughing up blood.

Problems with the bowel

You are easily full, you are not able to eat as much as you used to eat before, and or loss of appetite

You feel or notice a lump in the upper part of your belly

Difficulty swallowing, feeling as if your food if getting stuck in the food pipe and you always need a drink of water to get it down.

Your skin and the white of your eyes have turned yellow (jaundice)

Heartburn-  acid reflux, pain in the upper part of your belly especially if you are above 50 years old and it is happening for the first time. Also if you have noticed with it weight loss or persistent vomiting.

Vomiting blood-it may be some amount of bright red blood, or streaks of blood mixed with food or the colour may be like the coffee ground in your vomit which means old blood that had been in the stomach for a few hours. You must see a doctor immediately!

Bleeding from the back passage persistently or blood in your poo for  6 weeks or more in people above 40years of age.

Change in your bowel habit to looser stool or passing stool more frequently for 6 weeks or more.

Problems with waterworks (kidney, bladder, Urethra)

Blood in your urine

Lump in the testicles

Ulcer or sore on the penis

If you are male over 50years old, and you are passing urine too frequently, waking up more 3 times to pass urine, need to rush to the toilet immediately you want to go, the flow of urine is weak, dribbling, and you hesitate, take time before urine come through, you need a check on your prostate.

Problems with Head, neck, and thyroid

Lump in the neck

Ulcer/sore on the tongue or in the mouth especially if it is still there after 3 weeks

Change in the sound of your voice, loss of voice or it becomes husky especially if goes on for up to 3 weeks.

A white or red patch in the mouth that continues to be present for some time with pain, swelling or bleeding

Lump on the side of the face or under the chin where you have glands

 A Sore throat that refused to go away for more than 3 weeks

Pain in one ear that remains for more than 4 weeks

Swelling on the face or in the mouth that remains for more than 3 weeks

Nose block on one side of the nose with blood or discharge

Problems with Breasts

Lump in the breast of any woman, any age especially if  the lump feels hard, enlarging, and caused changes on the skin

Discharge mixed with blood from the nipple

Rash on one of the nipples that do not disappear when treated.

The nipples normally point out, but when suddenly one nipple goes inside, drawn into the breast, then it needs to be checked.

Male over 50 with a lump in one breast.

Women’s problems

Lump on the outside of the private part (vulva)

Ulcer or sore on the outside of the private ( vulva) that has refused to heal

Feeling bloated, increase in weight or size around your belly area ( your skirt or dresses are getting too tight)

Vaginal bleeding during or after sex

Heavy periods in women over the age of 40.

 A period after you have gone through the menopause (the change). If you are about 45-55years and have not had a period for 12months, you have achieved menopause ( the change), any period after needs to checked by the doctor.

Problems of the Skin

Mole on the skin that:

• Is growing in size
• Changing shape
• Changing colour
• Oozing fluid
• Inflamed
• Itchy or change in sensation

Ulcer or sore area- on the skin on any part of the body that has refused to heal, increasing in size or deeper or the sides are raised. At times the ulcer scabs over then opens up. Please the doctor to be sure.

Brain and nerve problems

Weakness of the limbs on one side of the body that is getting increasingly worse

Unsteadiness when walking

Trouble with vision, double vision.

 Severe Deafness on one side.

Headaches

Nausea and vomiting

Blackouts

Fits

 Forgetfulness or memory suddenly starts getting bad

Change in behaviour or personality

Blood problems

Bruising easily, or bleeding

Frequent infections

Fatigue

Recurrent fever

Night sweats

Weight loss

Bone pains

Broken bone without injury -which means the bone had already been weakened by the disease to such extent that something as simple as a cough can cause the bone to break.

Lumps

Any lump you feel in any part of your body that is rapidly increasing in size, painful or painless especially if deep, and fixed. Also if it appears again if the lump had been cut out before.

Please do not ignore these complains if you develop them. It may not be cancer, but it is always good to check.