Oncologist's warning over 'silent symptoms' of cancer most people ignore for months
A doctor has warned that the early symptoms of cancer might be missed because so many people make the 'biggest mistake' of 'waiting for symptoms to become severe' before seeking help.
Dr Jiri Kubes, radiation oncologist and Medical Director at Proton Therapy Center, warned that early symptoms might be relatively painless and undramatic, leading to their dismissal as a concern.
"Cancer doesn’t always announce itself dramatically, and many of the early warning signs are vague and easily explained by more common conditions," the doctor explained.
“The important thing isn’t to become anxious about every cough or ache, but to pay attention to symptoms that persist, keep returning or simply don’t feel normal for you.
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"In many cases they’ll turn out to have a harmless explanation, but if something more serious is going on, getting it checked early gives us the best possible chance of diagnosing and treating it successfully.”
Explaining that it's better to be safe than sorry, the doctor said there were a few early warning signs which could be nothing, or might be the opening stages of the most serious health issue of your life.
He said: "One symptom on its own rarely points to cancer, and the vast majority of people experiencing these symptoms will not have cancer.
"The important thing is persistence. If something continues for several weeks, keeps returning or simply doesn’t feel right for you, it’s always worth getting checked rather than assuming it will eventually go away."
What symptoms should you be looking out for?
One of these 'silent symptoms' is chronic fatigue, a common early symptom of cancer, and if you're getting tired and a better sleep schedule isn't helping it's time to see someone about it.
"Cancer-related fatigue is often described as an overwhelming exhaustion that doesn’t improve with sleep," the doctor said.
"There are many possible explanations, including anaemia, thyroid disorders, infections and poor sleep, but persistent fatigue should always be discussed with your GP if it isn’t improving."
Another that can go without notice for a while is unexplained weight loss, where your diet and exercise routine haven't changed but you're shedding weight.
Dr Kubes said that whether it was a sign of cancer or not 'it's important to understand why' it was happening.
He also noted that a persistent cough, the sign of many ailments, which lasts for several weeks should be checked out by a doctor to determine what the root cause is.
According to Cancer Research UK, over 403,000 Brits are diagnosed with cancer each year and the sooner it is caught the better.
That little annoyance with your health where something isn't quite right but it's not a dramatic symptom is worth checking out.
Joe Harker