Cancer is a dangerous and life-threatening disease. It may be cured but also has a chance of coming back. Often, there are warning signs associated with the illness, but people usually ignore it because they think it is not serious.

There are various types of cancer and affects both young and old people. Every year, a large number of people are diagnosed with the disease.

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Many people fail to notice the unusual changes that may be a warning sign of cancer. These 15 warning signs are often mistakenly linked with a less serious condition that is why people tend to ignore them. However, when these signs frequently occur, it is best to consult a doctor because it may be a sign that cancer is developing in the body.

Lumps

The appearance of the new or old lump may be an indication of breast cancer. Cancerous lumps are irregular in shape, solid and firm, painful, and their growth is fixed on the tissue of the breast. If you observe unusual changes in your breast, consult the doctor.

Changes in Urination

Frequent urination accompanied by pain and blood may be an indication of cancer. Hematuria or presence of blood in the urine is the first warning sign of gallbladder cancer. However, not all cases of hematuria indicate the presence of gallbladder cancer. This may also link to several conditions such as a non-cancerous tumor, infection or stones in the bladder or kidney.

Changes in Stool

One of the most important parts of the digestive system is the large intestine. If colon cancer is present in the body, the ability large intestine to perform its work will be affected. Changes in bowel habit may occur and leads to weight loss.

Indigestion

People can get indigestion if the food goes up to the esophagus or food pipe causing heartburn. If heartburn persists for three weeks even if you are taking medicine, seek some consultation. This may be an indication of upper digestive tract cancer.

Sores

If a person has skin cancer, there is a high risk of developing pressure sore; due to constant friction or pressure. Also, the frequent appearance of sore in other parts of the body such as oral or genitals may be an indication of cancer.

Skin Changes

Skin cancer often starts with the changes of the skin, like color and texture. There is at least 40 to 50 percent of fair-skinned people living with skin cancer. If detected early, skin cancer can be cured.

Pain

Pain can be a result of cancer. If a person is experiencing pain in a certain part of the body, this may be due to tumor growth. As the tumor continues to grow, the pain will persist and could affect other parts of the body.

Unusual Lymph Nodes

Unusual lymph nodes may appear in two ways; spread from somewhere else or start from the lymph node. When cancer starts in the lymph nodes the condition is called lymphoma.

Bleeding

The most common sign of cervical cancer is irregular vaginal bleeding. This may occur during the menstrual period, after sex, or postmenstrual period. Bleeding signs may also occur in some cases like coughing with blood and bloody urine or stool; an indication of lung cancer or gallbladder and colon cancer.

Unusual Hair Growth

One of the symptoms of adrenal cancer is excessive production of hormones like estrogen and androgen. If the amount of androgen or estrogen is high, physical changes may be noticeable like unusual hair growth. Often, adrenal cancer is easier to detect in children than adults who are on the stage of puberty.

Fever

Fever is a very common sign among cancer patients. It usually happens when the cancer cell spreads in the body. Some cancer patient has a frequent fever if the treatment is related to immune system because the body cannot fight the infection due to weakness. Fever is also an early warning sign of lymphoma or leukemia.

Coughing

A cough associated with cancer has no specific pattern. It may occur during the day or night. If a chronic cough persists, it may indicate respiratory tract or lung cancer. Those who have the disease are smokers or former smokers who developed smoker's cough.

Changes in Freckle or Mole

Changes in freckles or moles are very rare but usually associated with the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma. Check the ABCDE of the moles which stand for asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolution. Although in general, moles are not really cancerous, if a person has more than 50 moles on the body melanoma may likely develop.

Weight Loss

If a healthy person suddenly loses 10 pounds or more the condition is called unexplained weight loss. This may be another sign that cancer is starting to develop in the body. Unexplained weight loss is associated with certain type of cancer like on the stomach, esophagus, lung, or pancreas.

Fatigue

Fatigue is different from cancer-related fatigue. Cancer-related fatigue causes more distress than regular fatigue. It is described as feeling drained, too tired to move. Even though people get enough rest, the fatigue does not go away.

If one or more of these signs start to appear, it is best to seek some medical advice. Detecting the disease at an early stage can prevent the spread of cancerous cell in other parts of the body and increase the chance of survival.