Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Cancer gives you no symptoms or signs that exclusively indicate the disease. Every complaint for cancer can explain a harmless condition as well. If you have symptoms, however, you should see a doctor for further evaluation. Some common symptoms are as follows:

• Persistent cough or blood-tinged saliva
  
  
  • These symptoms usually represent simple infections such as bronchitis or sinusitis.
    
    
  • They could be symptoms of cancer of your lung, head, and neck. Anyone with a cough that lasts more than a month or with blood in the mucus that is coughed up should see a doctor.
    
    
• A change in bowel habits
  
  
  • Doctors sometimes see pencil-thin stools with colon cancer.
    
    
  • Occasionally, cancer exhibits continuous diarrhea.
    
    
  • Some people with cancer feel as if they need to have a bowel movement and still feel that way after they have had a bowel movement. If any of these abnormal bowel complaints last more than a few days, they require evaluation.
  
  
• Blood in your stool
  
  
  • A doctor always should investigate blood in your stool.
    
    
  • Hemorrhoids frequently cause rectal bleeding, but because hemorrhoids are so common, they may exist with cancer. Therefore, even when you have hemorrhoids, you should have a doctor examine your entire intestinal tract when you have blood in your bowel movements.