According to 2015.thetrendingstories.com, here are the “Signs You Might Have Cancer You Can’t Ignore:”
20. Fatigue or weakness caused by blood cells lost with not enough oxygen to go to the rest of the body.
19. Unusual weight loss (chemicals released to fight cancer but that diminish appetite) or weight gain (ovarian tumor that can retain fluid).
18. Unusual shortness of breath (not COPD) caused again by not enough oxygen in the blood making your lungs breathe more often.
17. Persistent cough or hoarseness that doesn’t go away maybe caused by cancer of larynx/thyroid gland or lung cancer.
16. Bleeding in stool or rectum (colon or rectal cancers) or bleeding in urine (bladder or kidney cancers).
15. Discoloration of skin or moles or warts (also moles or warts that change color, size, shape or lose their sharp borders), all signs of skin cancer.
14. Lump or swelling getting bigger or painful as in breast, testicle, lymph nodes, and other body soft tissues.
13. Headaches with pain that last 3 or more weeks that might be a symptom of a brain tumor or leukemia.
12. Sores that don’t heal may be a sign of skin cancer, and in the mouth (patches of white), oral cancer, or genitalia cancer in genital area.
11. Constant fevers caused by weakening of the immune system.
10. Yellow eyes and jaundice in skin and whites of eyes are often signs of liver problems as in liver cancer or hepatitis.
9. Difficulty swallowing along with vomiting or weight loss for more than a few weeks might indicate stomach or throat cancer.
8. Bloating if persistent and lasts for several weeks could be a signal for ovarian cancer.
7. Changes in voice that lasts for more than a few weeks could be lung cancer tumor affecting nerve that controls the larynx or ovarian cancer interfering with the hormones.
6. Swollen leg, if swollen for no good reason, could be cervical (kidney) cancer but typically only occurs with pain and an unusual discharge.
5. Heavy night sweats can be early indicator of cancers of lymph nodes but usually seen with early warning signs of fevers and unexplained weight loss.
4. Indigestion and nausea can be symptoms of cancer of esophagus and stomach; should be checked out if it occurs often, suddenly, and is particularly painful.
3. Changes in bladder habits can be early warning of cancer of bladder or (men) prostate cancer or (women) ovarian or cervical cancers.
2. Belly pain that, overtime, may move to the back may be pancreatic cancer.
1. Abnormalities in vision may be caused by many serious factors, among which may be a brain tumor causing double vision.
Sun City resident Kathy Yankowitz tells us of the importance of frequent breast self-exams. She was the first to detect her own cancers, and then she was officially diagnosed through a follow-up mammogram. Because it was Stage 1 cancer, Kathy’s disease was successfully treated by Centegra’s Oncology Department and the SAVI Radiation Treatment System.
Kathy tells us “I can’t say enough good for what the hospital oncology team did for me.”
Many of my other Sun City acquaintances who have been fortunate enough to have survived the Dreaded “C” Word have adopted lifestyle changes to prevent reoccurrences. Joan Souchek has had many skin cancers treated throughout the years. Recently, a benign brain tumor was successfully removed as well. Her husband, Paul, is now under treatment for large cell B lymphoma.
Joan tells us “We (Paul and I) just go to the doctors more often, have not changed our habits, however, we both need more sleep.”
Another female resident, on the eve of her breast lumpectomy procedure 12 years ago, stopped her long-time habit of smoking. Anne Broderick, who has had a multitude of facial skin areas removed due to cancer, sees her doctor every 3 to 6 months.
She said, “I do not sit in the sun and I wear a hat outside to protect my face.” Sometimes, a patient will opt out of medical treatment, especially when he/she knows they only have a short time to live. This was the case of my very closest friend’s brother, who at the age of 53 years old was given a life expectancy of 4-6 months. Bob had smoked from his late 20s until he received his lung cancer diagnosis. While he was still healthy enough to travel and enjoy life, the young man tried to visit his favorite nature locations in his adopted home state of Wyoming. During this time, he also enjoyed the company of his many longtime friends, wife, and two children. The last three weeks for my friend’s brother were spent on hospice with meds to control the pain. His last words to his sister were “Enjoy life and dance because life is short. I never would have started smoking if I had thought that I’d get caught.”
Cancer-causing diseases are extremely complicated and difficult to eradicate. Research now is taking place on cellular metabolism and the presence of hormones, such as estrogen, involved possibly in the spread of female lung and breast cancers. Only a few cancer drugs have recently been approved causing the cost to go up in this field of treatment. It is not uncommon here to see a medicine sell for $1000. In fact, Wikipedia, in its History of Cancer, informs us that “Since 1971 the United States has invested over $200 billion on cancer research…Despite this substantial investment, the country has seen just a 5% decrease in the cancer death rate between 1950 and 2005. Longer life expectancy may be a contributing factor to this, as cancer rates and mortality rates increases significantly with age. More than 3 out of 5 cancers are diagnosed in people aged 65 and over.”
It appears that a great deal of research work remains in the war against the Dreaded “C” Word!
