Mens Natural Health

Archive for the ‘Cancer Symptoms’ Category

Cancer symptoms may vary depending on the type of cancer. There are however some general symptoms that all cancer patients may manifest or experience regardless of the type of cancer that they may be suffering from. One such symptom is persistent fatigue. Fatigue is experienced by all patients especially in the advanced stages although in some cases it may occur in the early stages depending on which type it is. When someone experiences persistent fatigue, he or she should immediately see a physician because it is usually a sign of both malignant and benign conditions.

Weight loss is a symptom of many diseases but could also be a cancer symptom. This can occur with or without losing appetite and therefore precautionary check by a doctor may be good. Pain is not an early sign of cancer but it occurs when the cancer spreads and begins to affect areas such as the bones and the nerves. People suffering from ovarian and colon cancer experience lower back pains while shoulder pains could be a sign of lung cancer. Headaches may be a sign of a brain tumor. Stomach pains are associated with stomach and pancreatic cancer.

Persistent fever or fever that comes and goes could be a sign that the immune system is affected. Fever is also a cancer symptom associated with leukemia and lymphoma, the two types of cancer that affect blood. When one experiences diarrhea, blood in the stool and constipation, it is crucial to see a physician. Usually such changes in the bowel are associated with colon cancer. A persistent chronic cough with blood or mucus may be a symptom of lung cancer and it is therefore prudent to see a doctor immediately.

It is important to note that the above are just general symptoms and therefore when a person experiences any of them should not straight away conclude that it is cancer. It is however advisable that you seek medical advise immediately.

When I started to research cancer after I started to feel ill a few years ago I noticed a few distinct categories.

The cancer would always fall in four to five categories. They are Leukemia, Lymphomas, Sarcomas and Carcinomas. The fifth is Melanomas or just skin type cancer’s. Some will say Adenocarcinoma is on the list instead of the skin cancers, so we will just leave it at these 6 categories.

If you are feeling really ill and weak a definite action to take is to rule out cancer especially if the symptoms last for a lengthy period of time. Symptoms to look for cancer would be weakness, paleness, fever and flu-like symptoms that wont go away. This could be a sign of cancer in your blood or bone marrow which is basically your immune system.

Symptoms for cancer in the bones could be the most obvious, bone pain. Common areas for cancer to start are the thigh bones or long bones. Also in the long bones of the arms which is the forearm area. If the bone pain is not noticeable in normal situations like watching TV or walking but is aggravated when picking something up or when walking up a flight of stairs where the legs have to bend and put stress on the thighs, that is definite sign to get yourself checked.

My thigh bone pain is what set me to investigate the possibilities of cancer in my body. I was hiking to a waterfall on my 40th birthday and the bone pain in my legs was getting worse. I had noticed it before but decided to ignore it. That was the tipping point, the pain was too much for hiking rather than just walking around the house and I decided to get myself to a doctor.

I ignored the pain for 2 years because it was slight and it had a gradual build up as I was too busy working to go to a health provider. That was my first mistake, I almost waited for too long to get myself checked. The cancer discovered was Lymphoma that had spread to my bones. The treatments and procedures I experienced to get well and are currently still doing will be shared in another article. The focus for this article will be for symptoms for cancer so you the reader will not avoid what your body is telling you.

Other symptoms to be aware of also are rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, constipation alternating with diarrhea, weight loss and weakness with pale complexion. These can be general symptoms for many disease but the difference with cancer is they usually get worse and do not resolve itself like the flu will.

As common sense dictates concerning lumps or masses in any part of the body they must be taken seriously. The masses that do not go away and that have a strange type of pain you have not experienced before must be an area of concern for you. I had a small bump on the side of my head above my ear in the hair that kept getting bigger and had pain involved when touched. After a checkup and biopsy it turned about to be a type of skin cancer and was promptly removed. I also ignored this for about two and half years until it got to about an inch in size.

Cancer is very common today with all the chemicals, heavy metals and dyes used in today’s goods and food. Knowing this and knowing some symptoms for cancer it should be imperative to protect yourself and the things around you (cancer causing products). To prevent cancer do a self-diagnoses for symptoms and be aware of the chemicals you use and the foods you eat. You are the one who knows your self the best.

Do research on the internet of your symptoms. Don’t be afraid to check with your health care provider even if you have to tell them what you have found on the internet concerning what your body is telling you.

I have a growing list of symptoms for cancer that is available for those who might need a quick list to look over.

Breast cancer is the cancer of the breast. Although the incidence of this disease is highest among white women, breast cancer mortality rates are highest among racial minorities. Because this cancer incidence increases with age, the burden of suffering due to breast cancer in elderly women is substantial.

The risk of getting it increases with age. In essence, researchers concluded that this disease’ survivors who regularly exercise reduce the risk of its recurrence. Breast-feeding for several months also seems to reduce its risk. For American women, besides skin cancer, this ailment is the most commonly diagnosed cancer.

An estimated 213,000 American women has been diagnosed with this disease in 2006. In 2008, the American Cancer Society estimated that there was 182,460 new cases in women. There were 194,280 new cases were diagnosed in women in the United States in 2009 alone.

The risk of this cancer recurrence may be lowered by hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is currently the treatment of choice for patients with high-risk metastatic this disease. In order to decrease a patient’s risk of recurrent, patients are offered chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is currently being offered to node negative as well as node positive patients at increased risk for recurrence.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease can vary. While the symptoms do not confirm the existence of breast cancer, only your doctor can tell for sure. Breast cancer & its symptoms usually begin with a single cell that mutates in the lobule or duct. The symptoms can vary. If you notice the above mentioned symptom you should immediately see your doctor to clarify and confirm.

Treatment

There are many treatment options to this disease. Tamoxifen remains currently the ‘gold standard’ for all women with estrogen/progesterone receptor positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen, the most widely prescribed drug for the adjuvant treatment of this disease, often exacerbates hot flushes.

The treatment can be expensive, even if insurance covers the actual costs of treatment. Surgery is the most common treatment for this disease. For patients with small, early-stage this disease, breast-conserving surgery is the preferred treatment option.

No one doctor can handle all aspects of cancer care, so a treatment team is necessary. Choosing alternative care in the case of breast cancer treatment would mean forgoing chemotherapy and radiation. Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer usually involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biopsy and hormonal therapy. Radiation therapy is a treatment in which high energy rays are used to destroy cancer cells.