Don't take these symptoms lightly, they may indicate the onset of cancer!
It is important to know the difference between normal aches and symptoms that can possibly be cancer.
Many a times cancer in men goes unnoticed as its symptoms are treated as minor health symptoms. Noticing the signs of cancer can help detect cancer early and this in turn can help in the complete cure of cancer. Symptoms of cancer in men can include changes in restroom habits, trouble swallowing, hoarseness of voice, unexplained weight loss, mouth changes and stomach or abdominal pain. Routine screening tests for cancer is the best way to find cancer early. Many people ignore cancer symptoms or do not have an idea how serious their condition is until it is too late. However, the symptoms of cancer are too vague and generally occur in routine life that anyone would hardly attribute cancer as the possible cause.
It is important for men to know the difference between normal aches and pains or fatigue and the symptoms that can possibly be cancer. Some of the cancer symptoms that men should not ignore are as follows:
1. Changes in urination
Changes in the flow of urine that can be indicative of cancer include:
- Difficulty in starting the flow of urine
- Difficulty in stopping the flow of urine
- Stream of urine that is weaker than normal
- Dribbling or leaking of urine
- Changes in the frequency of need to urinate
- Swelling or shrinkage of size of testicle or lump in testicle
- Heaviness in the scrotum
- Erection problems
2. Oral changes
Certain changes that can be noticed in the mouth and throat as signs of cancer include:
- White spots or patches in the mouth
- Persistent pain in the mouth and throat areas
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Difficulty in moving the lower jaw
- Tooth or teeth that come out or loosen without any known reason
- Swelling of facial features
- Numbness or tenderness in lips, cheeks or tongue
- Sores or bleeding inside the tongue
- Persistent cough or hoarseness of voice
- Coughing out blood
3. Breast Changes
Male breast cancer is very rare and accounts for about 1 percent of all breast cancers. This is the very eason that men can ignore the signs of breast cancer. Breast cancer in men can be caused by increased levels of estrogen, exposure to harmful radiation or family history of breast cancer. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer occurring in men.
Among the various symptoms of breast cancer in men include:
- Enlargement of breast
- Nipple pain
- Inversion of nipple or retraction of nipple
- Sores on the nipple, areola and around it
- Lump felt in the breast that may or may not be painful
- Discharge from the nipple that may be clear fluid, black or bloody
- Enlargement of lymph nodes under the arm
- Redness or scaling of nipple and surrounding area
4. Stomach related symptoms
Stomach aches and abdominal pains are symptoms of many conditions other than cancer. But one cannot ignore the possibility of cancer when the symptoms are persistent in spite of taking measures to reduce them. Some of the symptoms of the abdominal discomfort include:
- Poor appetite
- Chronic acidity and heartburn (stomach or throat cancer)
- Vomiting, with or without blood
- Swelling up of abdomen or fluid build-up in the abdomen
- Stomach aches that may be dull feels like pressing inward (pancreatic cancer)
- Stomach cramps and upset stomachs (liver cancer)
- Feeling full after a small meal
- Blood in the urine or stool (kidney or bladder cancer, colon cancer)
5. Unexplained weight loss
A sudden and unexpected weight loss is fine in people who are trying to lose weight for health purposes. However, if there is a sudden drop in weight without trying is a matter of concern. An unexpected loss in weight is a sign of pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer and lung cancer. Other reasons for weight loss without trying include overactive thyroid gland, diabetes, cirrhosis and tuberculosis.
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