Common symptoms in cancer

It is not always cancer.
Cancers are frequently associated with specific complaints for each of the respective cancer include bloody cough in lung cancer. Many patients have, however, in addition to nonspecific symptoms that many various cancers occur in the same manner. These symptoms however, can also side-effects than with other diseases (such as the Cardiovascular system or the lungs) may occur as a temporary or "Malaise" in healthy people. Someone who is under such complaints suffering is therefore not necessarily think immediately of a cancer. This can only help secure the diagnosis, classify the complaints properly.


Anorexia:
Loss of appetite, loss of appetite or premature Satiety occur in many cancer patients on short or long term. Occasionally it can also lead to an aversion to certain foods, such as to meat. Consequently, an individual can during such a Lose "without appetite" phase of weight.


Weight Loss:
Also independent of appetite and the amount of our daily Calories conspicuous in many patients with cancer that she Weight . lose The reason for this is that a growing tumor has a high energy demand. Therefore, a part of the fed with the food energy consumed by the tumor and the body is no longer available. The body must then, if the food supply not increased, will rely on endogenous reserves. This is usually the Body fat that every human being under a greater or lesser extent the skin intercalates. If this fat reserve is depleted, the body attacks the muscles in the proteins located in the muscles and builds from this. The consequences of the consumption of Body fat and muscle protein are weight loss, a "thinner" appearance and physical weakness.


Weakness:
A weakness of cancer patients is often independent of one Weight loss seen. Or feel weak, tired and less powerful. Strain or effort, the effort against the disease were overcome, now appear very stressful and very hard to cope with yet.


Pain:
In the course of many cancers occur in pain. These are usually attributed to the fact that the tumor displaces the surrounding tissue, in Grows adjacent organs or presses on nerves. The location of pain depends on the Localization of the tumor. However, it is also known as spreading pain . occur A pain will not be perceived at its source, but in another region of the body. This may be the case when a tumor to a Nerve suppressed for a particular body region is the "responsible" and for this region will continue to report the pain to the brain. For example, pain be seen in the hand, although a growing tumor in the cervical spine. There, he presses on the spinal nerves that arise from the roots, with their Attract nerve fibers to the hand.


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Pain is usually felt as strongly incriminating symptom and the general condition interfere significantly. However, pain can become be treated so effective that no patient should suffer. For a complex Pain can be specially trained physicians, known as pain therapists, be consulted.


Fever:
Occasionally, an increase in body temperature up to fever determined. But this is a common symptom rather rare. Somewhat more frequently, it may Context of specific cancers occur, eg lymphoma (lymph node cancer) and Leukemia (blood cancer). Although under a widening of the cancer Liver by "daughter tumors" (metastasis) of the original tumor affected is, it can cause a temperature increase. A temperature rise may also occur when a tumor is divided, for example, because he has reached a size that one adequate blood supply and therefore does not allow for individual sections of the tumor . die But may occur at a temperature increase in a cancer patient not be neglected that other reasons for the increased temperature may be responsible as the cancer itself, such as infectious diseases (Flu, Cystitis, Pneumonia).


Sweating:
Irrespective of a possible increased body temperature occurs in some patients, especially night sweats additional Signs of illness on. This is particularly a special type of tumor, a lymphoma (Lymph node cancer), was observed.


Itching:
Occasionally, patients complain of itching. This symptom occurs especially in Hodgkin's disease (a specific lymph node cancer) and in leukemia (Blood cancer) on. But even if the "daughter of tumors," located in the liver have this clinical sign is observed. The reason is that in the liver did not produce more bile to drain into the duodenum, because the "Daughter of tumors," so to speak, of the bile "block the way". Since the bile is continuously produced in the liver, however, it must be Find other ways. In general, it first passes into the bloodstream and is further course of the disease is deposited in the skin. This provides for a a yellowish skin color ("jaundice"), on the other hand is itching triggered.



All of these "non-specific symptoms" such as decreasing Appetite, general weakness, decreasing pain, performance, increased body temperature or fever, sweating and itching can be very stressful his daily activities and limit the circumstances under considerably. Important part of any cancer therapy is, therefore, besides the actual Chemotherapy drugs, which alleviate these Allgmeinbeschwerden. This may be through medication (eg to take place Pain and Fever reduction), through so-called physical measures (eg cooling Cold compresses fever) or by Physiotherapy (such as circuit training and muscle strengthening exercises in general Weakness).

Possible first signs of cancer

The symptoms caused by tumors is not always clear

Cancers, at least initially do not often clearly noticeable. Some symptoms may indicate a malignant tumor in the body.

When cancer is malignant cell growths. The Oncogenes That are responsible for cell formation and growth, more and more of the so-called Carcinogens affected, so that cell division and growth run incorrectly. Finally, more and more carcinogenic oncogenes are replaced by cells, so that a tumor develops in the organs or the bones. Through the blood stream, there is a risk of the formation of ulcers in other subsidiary organs, since the carcinogens are transported by the blood throughout the body. This is called metastasis.

Possible risk factors for cancer

These include smoking, obesity, alcohol abuse, or even years of ongoing professional contact with carcinogenic substances (for example, the exposure of nuclear workers at nuclear power plants, chemical workers and the like). Apart from damaging environmental influences also play a role in genetic susceptibility. Often a particular type of cancer occurs more frequently familial.

Potential early signs of cancer

Depending on which organ is primarily affected, can be observed:

• Coughing up blood, hoarseness constant that can not be attributed to overuse of the voice, smoking or a cold, disease, increased susceptibility to lung inflammation and Bronchialinfekte
• Difficulty swallowing
• Blood in stool, tarry stool (blood is blackened by the admixed stomach acid)
• Vomiting blood
• Blood in urine
• constant, violent Headache, Often accompanied by dizziness, impaired vision and hearing disorders
• Moles that change suddenly in their size and / or secrete color, secretions, or bleeding
• unexplained weight loss
• severe abdominal pain, often associated with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Tiredness, fatigue, which can not be attributed to increased physical stress and strain
• for venipuncture: increased leukocyte (normal range: 7000-9500 leukocytes), which can not be attributed to other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid
• Leakage of secretions from the nipples
• in men: Breast Growth
  
• in women: spotting between days, painful periods, vaginal bleeding after menopause
• any wound or any ulcer that is not fully healed within three weeks.

Some of the above symptoms may also indicate an acute illness (such as violent Bausch Merzen with nausea and vomiting as a sign of appendicitis), or any other disease. Therefore, a rapid medical investigation is the occurrence of one or more of the symptoms all the more important. The earlier cancer is detected and treated, the greater the chances of recovery are the rule.

The importance of screening for early detection

A variety of screening tests such as mammography for women over 40, colonoscopy from the age of 45 Age or the annual examination of the female sex organs are covered by insurance, since some types of cancer occur more frequently until a certain age. As part of screening often been harmless (benign) nodules are detected, which have so far caused no apparent discomfort. With timely treatment of benign ulcers, cancer may not arise.

In addition, some Cancers otherwise go undetected for years, since it was early cause no symptoms. Bowel cancer can remain asymptomatic for five to ten years, even if the tumor is already malignant.

Even people whose families frequently occurred in a particular type of cancer should be examined regularly, because the probability of falling ill themselves in the same type of cancer is higher due to the genetic predisposition. Certain risk factors should be eliminated wherever possible, although this is obviously not possible in all cases.