Health Conditions

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms vary greatly with the location and type of cancer. If you notice one of the early warning signs, consult your doctor immediately. Many cancers can be cured if caught early.

Some of the early warning signs in adults include:

• a change in bowel or bladder habits
• a sore throat that does not heal
• unusual bleeding or discharge
• thickening or a lump in the breast or other part of the body
• indigestion or difficulty swallowing
• an obvious change in an existing wart or mole
• a nagging cough or hoarseness
• unexplained weight loss
• persistent fever, chills, or night sweats

Some early warning signs in children include:

• continued, unexplained weight loss
• headaches with vomiting in the morning
• increased swelling or persistent pain in bones or joints
• lump or mass in abdomen, neck, or elsewhere
• development of whitish appearance in the pupil of the eye
• recurrent fevers not caused by infections
• excessive bruising or bleeding
• noticeable paleness or prolonged tiredness

Early Detection Plays a Crucial Role:

Fortunately, screening tests can detect more than one-half of all new cancers. These include cancers that affect the:

breasts tongue mouth colon rectum

cervix prostate testes skin uterus

Early detection means early treatment, and early treatment means increased survival rates. For example, 100 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at an early stage live at least five years after remission. If breast cancer is detected after it has spread, the rate decreases to only 20 percent.

If all Americans participated in regular detection programs, the survival rate of many cancers could reach 95 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

Once you are diagnosed with cancer, your doctor will use a staging system to determine how advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis. He/She will measure the cancer's development through a course of treatment. Staging systems can differ according to the type of cancer.

One type of staging involves a "TNM" rating:

• A "T" refers to the size of the tumor. Tumors are graded on a scale of one to four, with four being the most advanced.
• An "N" refers to how much the cancer has affected the lymph nodes, which exist throughout the body. Lymph node involvement is graded on a scale of zero to three, with three having the most lymph node involvement.
• An "M" rating is used to identify if the cancer has spread, which is referred to as "metastasized." Metastases are assigned a zero if the tumor has not spread or a one if it has.

An adittional staging system uses the Roman numerals I to IV. Stage I cancers are usually small and curable and stage IV cancers are the most advanced and most difficult to successfully treat.