Cancer Cells Is A Disease

The signs and symptoms of cancer depend on where the cancer is, how big it is, and how much it affects nearby organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread (metastasized), signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. Here are some of the more common signs and symptoms that may be caused by cancer:

Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest.

Weight loss or gain of 10 pounds or more for no known reason.

Eating problems such as not feeling hungry, trouble swallowing, belly pain, or nausea and vomiting.

Swelling or lumps anywhere in the body.

Thickening or lump in the breast or other part of the body.

Pain, especially new or with no known reason, that doesn’t go away or gets worse.

Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Cough or hoarseness that does not go away.

Unusual bleeding or bruising for no known reason.

Change in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea, that doesn’t go away or a change in how your stools look.

It is important to note that most signs and symptoms are not caused by cancer but can be caused by other things. If you have any signs and symptoms that don’t go away or get worse, you should see a doctor to find out what’s causing them. If cancer is not the cause, a doctor can help figure out what the cause is and treat it if needed.

Some of the most common types of cancer include:

Breast Cancer: This type of cancer occurs when cells in the breast tissue grow uncontrollably. It is most commonly found in women but can also occur in men.

Lung Cancer: This type of cancer occurs when cells in the lungs grow uncontrollably. It is most commonly caused by smoking but can also occur in non-smokers.

Prostate Cancer: This type of cancer occurs when cells in the prostate gland grow uncontrollably. It is most commonly found in men.

Colon Cancer: This type of cancer occurs when cells in the colon or rectum grow uncontrollably. It is most commonly found in people over the age of 50.

Cancer is diagnosed through a combination of tests and procedures. Your doctor may use one or more approaches to diagnose cancer, including:

Physical exam: Your doctor may feel areas of your body for lumps that may indicate cancer. During a physical exam, your doctor may look for abnormalities, such as changes in skin color or enlargement of an organ, that may indicate the presence of cancer.

Laboratory tests: Laboratory tests, such as urine and blood tests, may help your doctor identify abnormalities that can be caused by cancer. For instance, in people with leukemia, a common blood test called complete blood count may reveal an unusual number or type of white blood cells.

Imaging tests: Imaging tests allow your doctor to examine your bones and internal organs in a noninvasive way. Imaging tests used in diagnosing cancer may include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, ultrasound and X-ray, among others.

Biopsy: During a biopsy, your doctor collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory. There are several ways of collecting a sample. Which biopsy procedure is right for you depends on your type of cancer and its location. In most situations, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose cancer. In the laboratory, doctors look at cell samples under the microscope. Normal cells look uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization. Cancer cells look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent organization.

If you have any signs and symptoms that don’t go away or get worse, you should see a doctor to find out what’s causing them. If cancer is not the cause, a doctor can help figure out what the cause is and treat it if needed .