Publisher’s NOTE: In the 17 years since I met Dr. Kelley – my journey in this field has never wavered. Since the inception of this web-site in the year 2000, we have expanded our focus to include health related issues beyond the scope of cancer, but due to the teachings of Kelley, believe that so much of what we post here, is deeply intertwined. With this post, we once again visit a series of warning signs, which could tell you what you may be facing.

Consider what we publish here to be for YOUR benefit and to those you love. ~ J.B.

Every year, 1,658,370 Americans are diagnosed with cancer, and 589,430 of them die. Many of these victims never realized they had cancer until it was too late. Treating and identifying cancer early is vital. That’s why you need to know the early warning signs.

Fatigue or Weakness
You’re really tired and it’s not cured by rest. This is a big red flag of a sign of anemia that could be caused by loss of red blood cells from leukemia, colon, or stomach cancer. As more and more red blood cells are lost, there are not enough healthy cells to transport oxygen to the rest of the body. Without oxygen you’ll feel tired and enervated.

Strange Weight Loss or Gain
Losing weight is normally a good thing. But not if you’re not doing anything to lose it. You need to tell your doctor. Loss of appetite can be a side effect of cancer. As your body tries to fight cancer. cytokines are produced. Cytokines decrease appetite. On the other hand, some cancers can actually cause weight gain. As a cancer tumor grows, fluids can be retained which can lead to weight gain. So be alert for any sudden weight gain or loss that you can’t explain.

Unusual Shortness of Breath
When you don’t have enough oxygen in the blood, you feel short of breath. Your body will be starved for oxygen; to overcome this, it’ll make your lungs and heart work overtime, making you breath more. This shortness of breath could be a sign of lung cancer or leukemia as your lungs or blood cells are not working to their capacities.

Cough or Hoarseness
Everyone gets a cough or a sore throat once in a while. You should only be concerned if it doesn’t go away. A cough that won’t go away could be a sign of lung cancer. Hoarseness or a persistent sore throat might mean that you have a problem with cancer of the larynx or thyroid gland.

Bleeding When Going To The Bathroom
No matter if you have cancer or not, blood in your stool or urine is a bad sign and should be looked at by a doctor. If you have blood in your stool, it could be a sign of colon or rectal cancer. If you have blood in your urine, it may be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.

Discoloration of Skin or Moles
Skin changes are a dangerous sign. Any freckle, mole, or wart that changes color, size, shape, or that loses its sharp border should be seen by a doctor right away. Any skin color change should also be told to your doctor right away. There are two possible cancer risks that you need to look out for. Skin cancer and the much more serious and dangerous, melanoma.

Lump or Swelling
No one is perfect; everyone has a few unusual lumps on their body. But if you notice any new lumps or swelling anywhere on your body, you should see your physician, especially if the lump swells or is painful. Areas you should be most on alert for are new lumps on your breasts, testicles, lymph nodes, and other soft areas on your body.

Headaches
Again, everyone gets headaches. This warning is only for any unusually long lasting pain. Any long lasting headache that lasts for three or more weeks should be cause to see your doctor. A long lasting headache is a serious issue that needs to be looked at by a doctor whether it is cancer or not. An acute headache could be a symptom of leukemia.

Persistent Sores That Never Heal
If you have a sore that always bleed and oozes puss, then that could be a symptom of skin cancers or melanoma. If you have a sore that never heals, or you have white patches inside your mouth that persist, this could be an oral cancer. Persistent sores on your genitalia can also be early warning signs of a cancer.

Fever
If you get frequent fevers, this could be a sign. Cancer will weaken your immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to infections which manifests itself as a fever. If you find that you are constantly getting fevers, you should ask your doctor to see if there is an underlying cause.

Yellow Eyes and Jaundice
Jaundice is what happens when your skin starts turning yellow and is an indication of damage to the liver. Jaundice and yellowing of eyes can occur for many reasons and some of these reasons are very serious even if it’s not cancer. Liver problems could be caused by a variety of causes, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis from alcohol damage, and several different types of cancer. If you notice that your eyes or skin have started to yellow, tell your doctor.

Difficulty Swallowing
If you occasionally have problems swallowing, that is normal and nothing to worry about. All people occasionally have problems swallowing. But be concerned if you have difficulty swallowing along with vomiting or weight loss, lasting for more than a few weeks. If these problems continue, your doctor may want to check for stomach or throat cancer.

Bloating
Bloating can be a normal feeling. You can feel bloated from drinking or eating too much, gas, or many other benign reasons. Everybody feels bloated occasionally. Bloating is a warning sign if it’s persistent and lasts for several weeks. But a consistently bloated belly could be a sign of ovarian cancer.

Voice Changes
You start to notice your voice changing — it’s deeper, hoarser, and raspier. Unless you’re going through puberty, this could be a cancer sign. If your voice change lasts for an extended period of time of more than a few weeks, you should go see a doctor. Voice changes could be a sign of a lung cancer tumor that affects the nerve that controls the larynx. If you’re a woman this could mean an ovarian cancer affecting your hormones.

Swollen Leg
If one of your legs starts to swell for no reason, get it checked out by a doctor. A swollen leg means a build up of fluid, and this could be an indication of cervical cancer. A swollen leg alone isn’t a sign of cancer, but if you also have pain and unusual discharge, this could be a sign of cervical or kidney cancer.

Heavy Night Sweats
If you wake up consistently covered in sweat, this could be a sign. Heavy night sweats can be an early sign of cancers of the lymph nodes. Heavy night sweats by itself is not a sign of cancer. But heavy night sweats with other signs like a fever or unexplained weight loss could.

Indigestion and Nausea
Are you a frequent sufferer of indigestion and nausea? This could be a symptom of cancer, especially of the esophagus and stomach. A single case of indigestion is not anything to panic over. But a doctor should check you out if indigestion and nausea occurs frequently, it occurs suddenly, or if it’s especially painful, and you are over the age of 55. Even if it isn’t cancer it could be still be a sign of something else that is serious and needs to be looked at, like an ulcer.

Changes in Bladder Control
You find that your bathroom habits are changing and you need to urinate more frequently. This could be a sign for several types of cancer. If you suffer from an over active bladder, problems urinating, or not being able to completely empty your bladder, then this is a sign of a problem with your urinary tract and possibly a sign of cancer. This could be a cancer sign of the bladder or the prostate if you’re a man. And if you’re a woman, it could mean ovarian or cervical cancer.

Belly Pain That Moves to the Back
For digestion, the pancreas is a vital organ. It regulates many enzymes necessary for the breakdown of nutrients in digestion. The pancreas is located behind your stomach, and if you develop pancreatic cancer it is extremely serious. Pancreatic cancer often starts off as an abdominal pain that often over time starts to move to the lower back.

Abnormalities in Vision
Double vision is a serious medical sign even if not cancer. There are many serious diseases that causes it, including diabetes, a weakening of the eye muscles, multiple sclerosis, an aneurysm, head injury, and cancer. If you start having double or blurred vision, it could be a brain tumor behind the eye interfering with the optic nerve.

Written for and published by Your Health News.

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