Warning signs that your body has a tumor, you need to get checked immediately or the disease will get worse

Malignant tumors have a very strong destructive power on the body, not only invading the original organ where they appear but also having the ability to metastasize to other parts of the body, threatening life. Early detection has the potential for early treatment.

Surgery for cancer patients - Photo: BVCC

Unexplained weight loss, need to see a doctor soon

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Duc - former director of K Hospital, vice president of Vietnam Cancer Association - said that in Vietnam, it is estimated that there are about 150,000 people with cancer every year, currently there are about more than 200,000 people living with cancer or have overcome this disease.

Doctor Ha Hai Nam - Deputy Head of Abdominal Surgery Department 1, K Hospital - said that according to the American Cancer Society, about 40% of patients first diagnosed with cancer have unexplained weight loss and up to 80% of people with late-stage cancer lose weight and become emaciated due to a combination of weight loss and loss of muscle mass.

Weight loss due to cancer often occurs with many types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer; esophageal cancer; stomach cancer, colorectal cancer; lung cancer...

The reason is that cancer cells are very "hungry" cells, tending to need a lot of energy to grow and divide (cancer cells are different from normal cells in that they divide a lot and do not stop). These cells get their energy from the nutrients the body takes in.

Even if we fast and no longer provide nutrition through food, cancer cells will still take energy from healthy cells.

When cancer cells grow, they compress and invade healthy cells and affect the functioning of important organs; the body must use protein reserves in the liver to compensate, retain important organ functions, and provide energy to nourish healthy cells. This causes body indexes to drop without us knowing why.

Therefore, when we are not in the weight loss phase, dieting, and do not have acute illnesses that cause weight loss such as no fever, no dehydration, no diarrhea..., it could be one of the warning symptoms that the body has a malignant tumor.

So how much weight loss can be considered cancer? Equivalent to about 10% of body weight/3 months. For example, your body is 50kg but in just 3 months you lose 5kg and do not know the reason. This is an alarming number.

Screening for gastric and colon endoscopy when there are signs of digestive abnormalities - Photo: HA LINH

Watch out for these easily overlooked signs and symptoms

Doctor Nguyen Van Thai, Military Institute of Radiation Medicine and Oncology, warns that malignant tumors, also known as cancer, have strong destructive power.

There are many signs of cancer warning in the body, but we often ignore them because they are also signs of common diseases we often encounter such as:

- Chronic fatigue and weakness: When cancer cells multiply rapidly in the body, they consume a large amount of energy, often accompanied by chronic inflammation, causing the body's anti-inflammatory system to be continuously activated. This depletes the body's energy.

This type of fatigue caused by cancer is different from the fatigue after normal work. It is like being pressed down by a large rock, unable to breathe. If you find yourself extremely tired for a long time, and rest does not help, you should definitely pay attention to see a doctor.

- Itching all over the body: Sometimes cancer cells also release certain substances that can cause skin reactions, itching all over the body. This itching is different from a common skin allergy.

It is often difficult to relieve with conventional measures, seriously affecting the patient's quality of life. If you encounter this case, do not rush to assume that it is a skin disease and ignore the deeper problem.

- Changes in bowel habits: Colon cancer and other gastrointestinal tumors can cause significant changes in bowel habits, such as going from once a day to going many times a day or alternating constipation and diarrhea. There are even cases of bloody stools. These abnormalities need to be examined promptly.

- Prolonged cough and difficulty swallowing: For patients with lung cancer, esophageal cancer or thyroid cancer, they may have a persistent dry cough or cough up phlegm mixed with blood. Because the tumor compresses the nerve tissue, the patient may also feel uncomfortable, even painful, when swallowing food.

If these symptoms persist (usually more than 1 month), you should quickly see a specialist for diagnosis.

- Detecting an unusual hard lump: Feeling a small, non-moving lump in the breast, armpit, neck, etc., can be an early sign of cancer. Although not all hard lumps are cancerous, to ensure safety, once you detect this phenomenon, you should still go to the hospital to do the necessary tests to eliminate potential risks.

- Hoarseness: Sudden hoarseness, especially when you do not have a cold, you should also consider the possibility of a tumor in the throat. Especially, when accompanied by symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, you should be more vigilant.

Dr. Nam analyzes the signs and symptoms of cancer depending on the organ affected by cancer, the size of the lesion, and the extent to which it affects nearby tissues and organs.

If cancer spreads (metastasizes), signs and symptoms may appear in many different organs of the body.

Get checked immediately when you see a lump on your body - Illustration photo

However, there are common signs and symptoms that can be caused by cancer, although these symptoms are often non-specific and can occur in other benign diseases, but we should not ignore them:

- Fatigue or exhaustion that does not improve with rest.

- Weight loss or gain of 4-5kg or more for unknown reasons.

- Eating abnormalities such as not feeling hungry, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, or nausea and vomiting.

- Swelling or lumps anywhere on the body. There are unusual lumps or hard lumps on the skin, breasts, neck, abdomen or other parts of the body (limbs, trunk, jaw).

"Cancer is a malignant disease of cells, in which cells mutate and proliferate indefinitely without being controlled by the body. Therefore, you should pay attention to your health when there are warning signs and need to go for a check-up to detect cancer early. Timely treatment from the early stages can cure many types of cancer.

With today's science, 1/3 can be prevented, 1/3 can be cured (in the early stages), 1/3 can prolong life (in the late stages). It is necessary to apply preventive measures, detect the disease early and treat it properly.

In fact, in countries with developed healthcare, over 50% of cancer patients are cured thanks to early detection and treatment. In Vietnam, the rate of patients recovering from the disease is still low because most of them are detected late. Many people believe in unscientific treatments, "quacks", superstitions... until the disease is too severe to go to the hospital" - Professor Duc warned.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tin-hieu-canh-bao-co-the-dang-co-khoi-u-can-di-kiem-tra-ngay-keo-benh-tro-nang-20241107083050871.htm