Today, it is possible that you have come across a person who has cancer. Early detection of cancer helps in early treatment before the cancer advances to more serious stages. There are more than 50 types of cancer, each affecting a specific part of the body. However, these types are common depending on age, gender, and race. For instance, cervical cancer is for women, while prostate cancer affects men. You can always find facilities that specify in treating a specific type of cancer. For instance, Take2 Health helps in screening and treating cancer of the nasopharynx. You need to know that most cancers cannot be detected at their early stages. However, if you notice certain symptoms, you can always get tested for early detection. The following are common types of cancer and how to detect them.
Breast Cancer
This is the most popular cancer among women. This type of cancer has various signs, but it does not necessarily mean you have cancer. Therefore, it is always recommendable to see the doctor if there are changes in your breasts. Some of the signs include:
- Breast swelling
- Pain on the nipples or whole breast
- A lump in the breast or the armpits. Most of these lumps are not painful and may not be necessarily cancerous.
- Thickening, scaliness, and redness of the breast
- Denting of the nipples
- Discharge on the nipples.
Prostate Cancer
This cancer does not have early signs. However, it is vital to get tested, especially if you are a man above 50 years. The symptoms mentioned below may be caused by other problems too. So, it is important to consult your doctor first. Some of these symptoms are:
- The frequent and uncontrollable need to pee
- Trouble urinating
- Problem keeping an erection
- Blood in the urine
- Lower back pains, thighs, and hips
- Pressure on the rectum
- Pain during ejaculation
Lung Cancer
This is another common cancer among men and women. Cancer does not show symptoms until its last stage. This is because lungs have few nerve endings, and the tumors can grow without causing any pain. Some of the signs related to lung cancer include:
- Chest pain
- Wheezing when breathing
- Persistent cough
- The pain of the bones
- Weight loss
- Frequent headache
- Lung infection
- Blood when coughing
- Loss of appetite
Nasopharyngeal Cancer
This is simply neck and head cancer. Mainly, this happens on the upper side of the throat hence the name nasopharyngeal. During the diagnosis, you need an npc cancer blood test Hong Kong. There are various signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer including:
- Recurring ear infection
- Headache
- Lump on the neck
- Face numbness
- Sore throat
- Hearing loss
- Sore throat
- Blurry vision
Bladder Cancer
Cancer of the bladder is also common and can come with various symptoms. However, you need to know that these symptoms could also be a sign of UTI, overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate. Consider seeing your doctor if you notice these symptoms:
- Trouble passing urine
- Pain during urination
- Blood in the urine
Leukemia
Commonly known as cancer of the blood, leukemia attaches to the tissues that form the blood. These tissues include the lymphatic system and the bone marrow. The signs of leukemia differ with people since it affects different parts of the body. However, the common signs are:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Exhaustion
- Fever and colds
- Nosebleeds
- Weight loss
- Bone pain
- Enlarged spleen
Kidney Cancer
This is also another common kind of cancer, and it comes with several symptoms. Some of them include:
- Loss of appetite
- Blood in the urine
- An unexpected loss of weight
- An unending fever
- Fatigue
- Anemia
- Pain on the lower back
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is also popular in women and men. It comes with signs like:
- Swollen abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Loos of weight
- Pain in the gut
- Enlarged liver
- Vomiting or nausea
- Itchy skin
- Fever
- Unusual bleeding
- Large veins on the belly
- Jaundice
- Weakness
- Constipation
- Fainting
Pancreatic Cancer
This is another kind of cancer that does not show signs during the early stages until it grows. However, if you experience these symptoms, see the doctor.
- Depression
- Blood clot
- Diabetes
- Los of weight
- Exhaustion
- Jaundice
- Pain on the upper abdomen
Colon Cancer
This cancer is common in both men and women, and the bad thing is that it does not show any signs until it reaches an advanced stage. However, there are several symptoms that can help you detect them early. If you notice the following symptoms, consider seeing your doctor.
- Fatigue
- Loss of weight
- Pressure on the abdomen or rectum
- Stomach or gut pains
- Bowel changes like diarrhea and constipation
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Blood in the stool
Skin Cancer
This is the most common type of cancer that has affected a lot of people. The number of skin cancers has increased, specifically non-melanoma skin cancer today. There are two types of non-melanoma skin cancer. These are:
Basal Cell Carcinoma
This mainly grows on the head, neck, torso, and face. The common signs are:
- Raised red patches
- Soars that will not heal
- Smooth lumps
- Bleeding and itchy sores
For Squamous Cell Carcinoma, cancer may affect the areas frequently exposed to sunlight. The common signs are:
- Warty growths
- Itchy and painful growths
- Red and scaly patches
- Crusty and bleeding sores
Thyroid Cancer
Cancer of the thyroid comes with various symptoms. These include:
- Problem breathing or swallowing
- Frequent coughs
- Pain on the front part of the neck
- Swelling on the front side of the neck
- Hoarseness
The Bottom Line
These are different types of cancer that affect different types of the body. As mentioned earlier, there are over 50 types of cancer. It is crucial to look for the signs mentioned above to detect cancer during its early stages. Most of these cancers cannot be detected early, but it is crucial to recognize these signs and changes in your body. If you notice unusual changes in the body, the first thing you need to do is to consult your doctor. The specialist will help you to know the cause of the change and what you need to do. If they detect cancer, proper treatment will be administered to curb it early before it advances.