Abdominal pain or cough - if it does not get better after a long time of treatment, then it can be a symptom of cancer and the doctor should be contacted immediately - say NHS officials in England.
They say that thousands of people's lives are at risk due to ignoring these symptoms and delaying treatment.
It has been seen as an international one that more than one crore people die every year worldwide due to cancer.
Doctors say that people need to be more aware of these signs or symptoms of cancer amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to experts, if cancer is detected at an early stage, it is possible to treat the disease very quickly and easily.
A cancer doctor in Britain and consultant clinical oncologist at Southend University Hospital. Imtiaz Ahmed said, "All cancers are curable if detected early. If caught much later, it is not curable If everyone is just a little more aware of the symptoms, cancer treatment can be much more beneficial."
But a study in Britain found that three out of five people do not take these symptoms seriously. Many people are not aware of the common symptoms of cancer. They have no idea about these symptoms.
Many time, a person may be living a healthy life, but suddenly it turns out that he is sick. Later tests revealed that he had cancer. Some of his symptoms may have appeared in his body but he did not understand them, or did not pay attention to them.
Later, it was found that the cancer had already spread much further in his body due to the delay. Then it becomes much more difficult to cure him through treatment.
Doctors say, even if the symptoms are minor, it should be given importance. Because some cancers are difficult to detect and can only be confirmed after many tests. But a lot of time passed in between.
Doctors say that due to the coronavirus epidemic, contacting doctors or hospitals has become much more difficult than usual and therefore it is more important to be alert about the symptoms or signs of cancer.
Symptoms:
There are certain symptoms that are common to all cancers. These symptoms are more or less similar, especially after the cancer has spread.
These include weight loss without any reason, lack of appetite for a long time, etc. After that, a common symptom of all stomach cancers is long-term abdominal pain. Diarrhea for three to four weeks in case of bowel cancer."
Again, there are some symptoms that should be taken seriously once they appear. For example, blood in the urine is a symptom of bladder cancer that should never be ignored.
Experts believe that throat, stomach, bile, pancreatic, ovary- such abdominal cancer and urological cancers- such as prostate, kidney and bladder- in these cases the symptoms remain hidden.
Common symptoms of these cancers include:
- Abdominal discomfort lasting a few weeks or longer.
- Persistent diarrhea.
- Feeling sick all the time.
- Blood in urine.
Doctors say that if any of these symptoms lasts for three weeks or more, you should consult a doctor without delay.
Also, some other unusual changes - such as an extra mass or lump in the abdomen or bleeding after menopause, unexplained weight loss - can also be signs of cancer.
Some of the symptoms that patients tend to ignore in lung cancer include:
- Cough for more than three weeks, without covid.
- Recurrent chest infections or chest infections.
- Coughing up blood.
- Feeling tired, lacking energy or feeling weak all the time.
How early does it appear?
There is no definitive answer to this question. The time of onset of symptoms varies from cancer to body part.
Again there are many vague symptoms, from which there is no way to understand. Therefore, it is more important to be careful about these symptoms.
"There is no guarantee that the symptoms of cancer of all organs will appear early. That is why it is important to pay attention to vague symptoms. For example, if we cough, we do not give much importance. But if the cough persists for two to three weeks, or if the infection is recurring, then it can be a sign of lung cancer.
There are some cancers that do not show symptoms quickly. Symptoms only begin to appear after it has spread too far.
An example is pancreatic cancer. The incidence of this cancer being caught at an early stage is very low.
"It may have been caught on a CT scan for some other reason. And by the time it's caught, it's at a very advanced stage," said Dr. Ahmed.
However, he said, some cancers such as bowel cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer can be detected early if we are a little careful.
When is it important to be cautious?
There are some symptoms that are manifested in common diseases as well. Which includes cough or fever. These two are very common symptoms of coronavirus.
But how to distinguish the symptoms of cancer from these common symptoms or when to be a little more careful?
If a cough persists for many days, does not go away for two to three weeks, no cause can be found, does not resolve with antibiotics, or one has frequent chest infections, then one must consult a doctor to see if it is a sign of cancer.
Also be careful about weight loss. Weight loss can happen for many reasons. Weight loss is also often caused by thyroid. It can also decrease due to other diseases.
"But if there's no reason behind the weight loss, there's no explanation, then there's definitely something to be aware of.
Success in treatment:
Experts say that knowing some of the common symptoms of cancer can prevent patients from dying prematurely. And therefore it is very important to take these symptoms seriously.
Most cancers can be cured if detected at an early stage. But once the cancer has spread, it is difficult to completely cure it. Then maybe we just try to keep the cancer under control."
Therefore, the earlier the cancer is caught, the better.
Experts say that the success rate of cancer treatment depends on which organ the cancer is.
Lung cancer has a 60% to 70% success rate in treatment if detected at an early stage.
The success rate is similar for throat cancer. 80 to 90 percent of prostate cancer cases.
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