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How to define oncology. Cancer: signs and symptoms at an early stage of the disease Types of cancer screenings

Cancer occupies a leading position in terms of patient mortality worldwide. Complete cure of cancer patients is possible only in the early stages of the disease, but many types of malignant neoplasms at the initial stage of formation are almost asymptomatic. However, there are a number of common oncological signs by which one can independently suspect the presence of cancer.

Common Symptoms

Oncologists point to the existence of a so-called small symptom complex, the detection of which is considered a reason for immediate consultation with an oncologist:

• severe fatigue and a gradual deterioration in well-being;
• headaches, dizziness, night sweats and progressive general weakness;
• persistent low-grade body temperature, periodic fever in the evening;
• prolonged itching of the skin, violation of the structure and shape of birthmarks, nevi and moles;
• asymmetric enlargement of some areas of the papilloma with the formation of a red corolla, sensation of a "foreign body" and tingling of the skin;
• symmetrical increase in the group of lymph nodes in the cervical region, inguinal or axillary areas;
• chronic course of ulcers, cracks and erosions on the skin or in the oral cavity;
• an increase in the volume of soft tissues, which is accompanied by an atypical color and pattern of the skin in this area;
• frequent attacks of bone pain, pathological fractures and local hyperthermia.

Specific signs of the disease

For oncologists, the following symptoms cause alertness:

• severe and prolonged pain when swallowing food. Such painful sensations can be repeated many times. Over time, the patient may experience tingling, scratching, and a “foreign object” sensation in the throat;
• retention of food in the esophagus;
• a constant feeling of fullness in the stomach with frequent belching during meals;
• the presence of mucous and blood inclusions in the feces in combination with dull pain in the anus;
• prolonged purulent discharge from the nasal passages, which are not associated with rhinitis and sinusitis;
• persistent and recurring attacks of dry cough, chest pain and bloody sputum;
• changes in acuity and a decrease in the field of vision;
• constant headaches, uncoordinated movements;
• frequent urge to urinate, muco-bloody discharge from the genitals, chronic pain syndrome in the pelvic region.

Analyzes

Stool study

Examination of a patient with suspected intestinal cancer must include an analysis of feces for the presence of blood elements. Recent research by scientists at the University of Potsdam has led to the development of an innovative method for diagnosing intestinal cancer. The essence of the technique is to identify cancer cells that are secreted from a malignant neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract. It is noteworthy that such an analysis is able to diagnose early forms of oncology in the absence of specific cancer symptoms.

General urine analysis

It allows you to determine the general condition of the urinary system. By the color of urine and the inclusion of leukocytes and erythrocytes, one can suspect oncology or inflammatory-destructive changes in the kidneys. The subsequent establishment of the diagnosis requires additional diagnostic procedures and consultation with a doctor.

Recently, information has appeared in the press about the successful scientific research of American scientists in the diagnosis of bladder and prostate cancer based on the results of urine tests.

General blood analysis

The development of malignant neoplasms provokes an increase in the concentration of certain biologically active substances in the blood. These substances are called tumor markers. Determining the amount of a specific protein in the circulatory system is considered an integral part of the screening examination.

Cancer screening

A diagnostic technique that allows you to establish the presence of a cancerous lesion in the preclinical stage of tumor development. Is it possible to determine cancer by blood, analyzing the number of tumor markers? The blood test pursues such goals as early detection of cancerous tumors, differentiation of malignant and benign processes, monitoring the results and effectiveness of anticancer treatment, as well as timely detection of disease recurrence.

For diagnosis, blood sampling from the patient is carried out on an empty stomach. The duration of laboratory research, as a rule, is one day.

The traditional set of tumor markers includes:

1. CEA marker, which indicates the presence of neoplasms and metastatic lesions of internal organs;
2. CA 19-9 marker for the detection of pancreatic tumors;
3. CA-15-3-marker, which makes it possible to identify breast cancer;
4. CA-125 is a marker of metastatic and cancerous lesions of the ovaries.

Is it possible to define cancer independently by the level of tumor markers? It is impossible to answer unequivocally. The concentration of such substances can increase against the background of chronic inflammatory processes or viral infection of the body. Concerning an oncologist should analyze the results of laboratory tests, which in most cases recommends the patient to undergo an additional diagnostic examination.

Useful video

Often, a cancerous tumor does not show any specific symptoms. Therefore, most people learn about a terrible diagnosis only when coping with the disease is already very difficult, and sometimes even impossible. And there is also such a category of citizens who, with any ailment, think about the worst and try to find signs of cancer in themselves. Perhaps excessive vigilance is also unnecessary, but if you really notice something amiss in your condition, it is worth undergoing a medical examination. Better to be safe!

Cancer: signs and symptoms

Diseases of this kind manifest themselves in different ways. But there are common signs of women and men. In general, three groups of symptoms can be distinguished:

• Unsuccessful treatment of diseases. When you carry out enhanced therapy for any pathology, be it a stomach ulcer, inflammation of the bladder or pneumonia, and there is no improvement for a long time, you should be wary. Perhaps this indicates the presence of a cancerous lesion.
• Small manifestations. Decreased performance, a constant feeling of discomfort, rapid fatigue, decreased interest in the surrounding reality, unreasonable weight loss - all this can speak of oncology.
• Overgrowth of tissues. If, upon visual inspection or palpation, you find deformation or asymmetry in some part of the body, you should be wary. Perhaps such a tumor is dangerous.

Now we will list the first symptoms of cancer, when they appear, you must definitely consult a doctor.

1. Sudden weight loss. Very many people at an early stage of the development of the disease begin to rapidly lose weight. If in a short time you have lost more than five kilograms, see your doctor immediately.
2. Fever and fever. This symptom usually appears when the cancer is already quite widespread. But it is he who can become the first bell.
3. Fatigue and weakness. These are, perhaps, the most important first signs of cancer, characteristic of absolutely any type of cancer. However, many simply ignore them.
4. Bone pain. This symptom may indicate malignant neoplasms in the bone tissue.
5. Changes in the quality and color of the skin. Dermatological signs, such as darkening, redness, yellowness of the skin, itching, and others, may indicate the presence of skin cancer or oncology of internal organs.
6. Changes in the size, color, thickness, shape of moles, as well as the appearance of wounds or ulcers that cannot be treated. Moles can transform into malignant formations, so do not ignore these manifestations.
7. Bladder dysfunction and stool disorders. You should consult a specialist if you suffer from persistent constipation or, on the contrary, diarrhea. Changes such as pain during emptying, more frequent or infrequent urination should also be alerted.
8. Constant headache. This symptom may indicate the presence of a brain tumor.
9. Unusual discharge, bleeding. Blood impurities in feces, urine, vaginal bleeding in women - all this can be a manifestation of cancer.
10. Persistent cough, sore throat, hoarseness, and trouble swallowing and indigestion. If, when coughing in sputum, you find blood clots, an urgent need to visit a doctor, because you may have lung tissue oncology. Problems with swallowing and digestive disorders are often not signs of cancer, but if they occur together, then one can suspect oncology of the pharynx, esophagus or gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of different types of cancer

Of course, in addition to general manifestations, there are also specific signs of oncological diseases that are characteristic only of one or another species. And still, even if you find any characteristic symptom, you should not immediately think that you have cancer. Visit a specialist first, and then draw conclusions.

Stomach cancer

In the early stages of the disease, symptoms are imprecise and scarce. Often, not only patients, but also the doctors themselves, write off the symptoms that have appeared for gastritis. In this case, everything is limited to the appointment of medications, and a complete examination is not carried out. And yet, specialists, who listen carefully to the complaints of patients, sometimes catch the first signs of cancer. These include:

The described first signs of oncology can appear both against the background of a previous stomach disease (for example, an ulcer), and against the background of absolute health. Only when a malignant tumor becomes widespread do vivid symptoms appear: persistent vomiting, intense pain radiating to the back, severe severe weakness, and an earthy skin color.

Breast cancer

The first signs of oncology in women in this case are retraction and flattening of the nipple and spotting from it. Soreness is not a diagnostic symptom. With pain, it may be completely absent, but with mastopathy, on the contrary, it can have a pronounced character. Signs and symptoms will vary depending on the shape of the cancer. So, with a mastitis-like form of the disease, the mammary gland greatly increases, swells and hurts. The skin feels hot to the touch. The erysipelas is characterized by the sudden appearance of redness on the skin of the breast, as well as a significant increase in temperature. Armor oncology is manifested by a tuberous compaction of the skin. A shell is formed, as it were, covering part of the chest, and sometimes all of it.

Rectal cancer

As already mentioned, usually the signs of cancer in the early stages are not particularly pronounced. Symptoms that can be noticed are no exception: dull pain during bowel movements at the time of movement of feces, discharge of mucus and blood with stool, subsequently ribbon-like stool. Such manifestations are often mistaken for signs of hemorrhoids. However, there is a difference: with hemorrhoids, blood in the stool usually appears at the beginning of bowel movements, and with rectal cancer, at the end. At a later stage, constipation is added to the listed symptoms, followed by diarrhea, frequent urge to defecate, discharge of fetid purulent bloody masses.

Skin cancer

This type of oncology can also take different forms: ulcerative, nodular, infiltrative. However, often the first signs of skin cancer, regardless of the form, are the same. On the body, dense, painless nodules of a waxy pinkish-yellowish color appear. They grow gradually. It is very rare to find forms with sluggish growth, which do not show visible changes for many years. But there are such cases.

Lung cancer

Depending on where the primary tumor occurs, in the lung tissue or bronchus, the first signs of oncology will differ. In the case of central cancer (cancer of the bronchus), a hacking dry cough first develops, later sputum appears, often it has blood impurities. For this form of the disease, the causeless occurrence of pneumonitis (inflammation of the lung), accompanied by an increase in temperature, increased cough, general weakness, and in some cases chest pains, is very characteristic. Peripheral cancer, which originates in the lung tissue, is almost asymptomatic at the initial stage and is often detected during a preventive X-ray examination.

A brain tumor

The signs of cancer of the brain are numerous, and they cannot be called specific. It is noteworthy that many neoplasms do not appear at all and are found most often only after death, during an autopsy. This applies, for example, to a tumor of the pituitary gland. It should also be borne in mind that not all formations are malignant - benign tumors often manifest themselves in the same way as cancerous ones. The only way to check the nature of the signs is to get tested.

Symptoms in these types of oncology are associated with the pressure of the tumor on the brain and, in this regard, the disruption of its work. The signs are similar in both the primary and the metastatic (when the neoplasm penetrates into other parts of the brain) stages and are characterized by weakness, headache, absent-mindedness, the appearance of seizures and spasms, and difficulty in motor processes. Nausea and vomiting (especially in the morning hours), visual impairment, weakening of intellectual activity associated with impaired memory and concentration, a gradual decrease in mental activity, changes in emotional state, difficulty in speech processes are also possible. The listed symptoms, as a rule, do not appear immediately, therefore, the disease may go unnoticed for a long time.

Finally

We have listed the signs of the main cancers, but, of course, not all types of cancer were affected. There are a lot of them, and the symptoms will differ in each case. For example, bleeding and vaginal leucorrhoea are the main manifestations of uterine cancer. The main symptom is soreness when swallowing food, and the most common bladder is blood in the urine. Do not be negligent about your health and immediately contact a doctor at the slightest suspicion of a terrible disease!

In the human body, tissue changes are constantly occurring, which can be of a physiological and pathological nature. It is very important to determine in time early symptoms of cancer, which is a key criterion for early diagnosis and complete cure of the patient. In oncology, there are 15 reliable signs of cancerous organ damage, which every person must know.

Early Cancer Symptoms: 15 Significant Symptoms

1. Thoracic pathology

Cancer alertness is caused by such changes in the breast area:

• dryness and inflammation of the skin;
• retraction and soreness of the nipple;
• purulent, bloody or transparent discharge from the ducts of the gland;
• redness and peeling of the epithelium around the nipple.

After detecting early signs of breast cancer, the patient should be examined by an oncologist, who prescribes mammography and biopsy to establish a diagnosis.

2. Chronic bloating

This symptom, in combination with blood secretions, can signal a malignant neoplasm of the intestines or ovaries.

3. Having vaginal bleeding

Uterine crayfish, early symptoms which occurs between menstrual cycles, requires immediate consultation with a gynecologist.

4. Skin changes

This symptom includes an increase in the size of the mole or its pigmentation. may indicate melanoma, which is a malignant tumor that metastasizes already at the initial stage of the disease. With epithelial cancer, skin hardening, bleeding ulcers, and erosion can also occur.

5. Blood in urine and stool

Blood masses in the stool indicate hemorrhoids or colon cancer. Bloody urine can be considered an early manifestation of bladder or kidney cancer.

6. Swollen lymph nodes

Lymph node thickening is often a consequence of cancer cells spreading through the lymphatic system. Such early symptoms of cancer depending on the type of cancer, they can be localized in the axillary, groin or cervical region. Establishing an oncological diagnosis in this case requires a comprehensive examination of the patient using radiography, ultrasound, computed and magnetic resonance imaging.

7. Having trouble swallowing food

Complete or partial obstruction of the esophagus indicates carcinoma (malignant neoplasm of the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal). In addition, patients may complain of pain during swallowing or a feeling of a foreign body in the larynx. During the diagnosis, the doctor usually prescribes a contrast x-ray, which reveals the size and shape of the cancer. Confirmation of the diagnosis is carried out on the basis of biopsy data taken during endoscopic examination.

8. Unreasonable loss of body weight

A dramatic weight loss of more than ten kilograms raises concerns about cancers of the digestive system, pancreas, lungs or bones. Determining the cause of such changes in body weight requires implementation, radiography and topographic examination.

9. Chronic heartburn

Patients with acidity that lasts more than two weeks are subject to gastroenterological examination. This is due to the fact that gastritis, peptic ulcer and malignant diseases cause chronic heartburn. If gastric discomfort occurs, patients are advised to change their daily diet. If heartburn is persistent, then the patient should seek specialized help.

10. Changes in the oral mucosa

Dentists point out the need to undergo annual preventive examinations of the oral cavity. At the reception, the dentist pays special attention to in the form of leukoplakia and hyperkeratosis. Tobacco smokers and persons with unsatisfactory dental hygiene are a special risk group for oral cancer.

11. Fever

Chronic low-grade fever that lasts more than two weeks is an early sign of leukemia or other blood cancer. Diagnosis of such a disease includes a general and detailed blood test.

12. Chronic feeling of tiredness

General weakness and rapid fatigue may indicate a chronic disease of the cardiovascular system, vegetative-vascular dystonia or cancer. Therefore, to establish a diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo a comprehensive examination.

13. Cough

A chronic cough that does not disappear within 3-4 weeks requires additional diagnostics of the respiratory system. Oncological alertness is caused by periodic dry cough in smokers, and especially in combination with progressive shortness of breath. This symptom often comes first. The presence of pulmonary carcinoma is also indicated by the presence of blood in the sputum after a coughing fit. The final diagnosis is made on the basis of radiography and puncture biopsy.

14. Pain syndrome

Pain that periodically bothers the patient may signal the presence of a malignant neoplasm. associated with locally destructive tumor growth. In the initial stages, cancer pain can be relieved with traditional pain relievers. In the later stages, if, a cancer patient needs to take narcotic analeptics.

15. Nervous system disorders

Neuroses and depression, as a rule, accompany oncological diseases. Early symptoms of cancer central and peripheral nervous systems include apathy and depression. These signs cannot unambiguously indicate oncology and require additional diagnostics.

Cancer is the generalized name for numerous diseases that affect any organ or tissue. The terms "malignant tumor" and "neoplasm" are also used as synonyms for the word "cancer". The essence of the pathology lies in the fact that DNA is violated in a single cell - biological information of a hereditary nature. The cell begins to divide uncontrollably, forming a mass of tissue called a tumor.
A malignant tumor is a pathological autonomous progressive proliferation of abnormal cells that invade and spread into adjacent tissues. The tumor has not only its own cells, but also a protective membrane (stroma), as well as blood vessels.
Depending on the type of tissue from which the oncological process begins to develop, tumors are classified according to histogenetic characteristics:

• cancer or carcinoma - from epithelial tissue;
• sarcoma - from adipose, connective, bone and muscle tissues, as well as from lymphatic and blood vessels;
• leukemia - from hematopoietic cells;
• myeloma - from bone marrow tissues;
• lymphoma - from lymph tissue.

The bulk of pathological tumors are cancer or carcinoma.
Malignant neoplasms develop in two stages: preclinical and clinical. A long course of pathology without the manifestation of any symptoms of its presence is called the preclinical period. In time, this stage is 75% of the total duration of the existence of malignant cells. During this period, early cancer most often develops. But sometimes large tumors progress latently.

In the clinical period, cancer begins to manifest itself with external symptoms. There are many of them, they are diverse, but nonspecific: each symptom of an oncological pathology is also a sign of a non-neoplastic disease. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose a malignant neoplasm. At the same time, with cancer, characteristic symptoms are observed, prompting the doctor about the presence of a tumor in the body, since the neoplasm is gradually increasing, causing poisoning by the produced toxins, and disrupting the work of the affected organ.
In this regard, there are five clinical phenomena that serve as the basis for determining oncological pathology: obstruction, destruction, compression, intoxication, tumor-like formation.

Clogging (obturation)

This phenomenon occurs mainly with tumors of hollow (having a cavity inside) organs, but it also happens in other organs. A growing neoplasm narrows the lumen inside or squeezes it from the outside, disrupting patency. Signs of obstruction associated with blockage are often central to the clinical picture of pathology, but each organ has its own:

• narrowing of the lumen of the esophagus leads to difficulty in swallowing; cancer of the left side of the colon - to a violation of the passage of its contents, causing spasmodic pain in the abdomen, absence of stool and gas, bloating, vomiting;
• narrowing of the opening leading from the stomach to the duodenum, gives a feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating, causes spasmodic pains, vomiting of stagnant food masses, splash noise in the peritoneum on an empty stomach;
• compression of the urethra with prostate tumors causes acute urinary retention;
• lung cancer compresses the bronchi, causing shortness of breath, cough, chest pain;
• a tumor of the head of the pancreas clogs the bile duct, developing yellowness of the skin of a mechanical nature.

The formation of blockage of the lumen in most cases is gradual. Therefore, the signs of cancer are growing progressively. But sometimes the obstruction occurs suddenly:

1. a neoplasm in the esophagus can cause a sharp spasm of the wall above the tumor;
2. cancer of the end of the colon, passing into the rectum (sigmoid colon), forms an acute obstruction, tightly clogging the cavity with feces.

There are also cases when the patency of the lumen is restored partially or completely despite the fact that the cancer is progressing. This happens if the tumor breaks down. The spasm or inflammation of the mucous membrane stops.

How severe the symptoms of cancer associated with obstruction will be depends on the form of tumor growth. In this regard, the following pattern can be traced: in organs with a cavity of a large diameter, clogging is observed earlier and is more pronounced when malignant cells grow into neighboring tissues. In cancer of the branches of the windpipe and biliary tract, blockage occurs during growth into the lumen of the organ, connecting with its wall with a leg.

Destruction (destruction)

The phenomenon of destruction is characteristic of ulcerated and growing inside the cavity of the organ of cancerous tumors. The neoplasm disintegrates under the influence of some mechanical factor. For example, the dense contents of an organ touch and injure a soft tumor mass. In this case, the vessels of the tumor are damaged, bleeding opens.
Usually, the outflow of blood is insignificant, since small vessels are damaged. Bleeding occurs intermittently, but it can continue for a long time, it can be repeated often. This leads to anemia - a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

• blanching of the skin;
• dizziness;
• blood pressure drops;
• the pulse is poorly felt;
• the tone of the heart is muffled.

If a large vessel ruptures, severe bleeding occurs that is difficult to stop.
Symptoms of destruction are characteristic of neoplasms of internal organs:

• with rectal cancer and cancer of the main section of the colon, there is a small amount of blood in the stool;
• with tumors of the esophagus and stomach, there is latent (visible only during laboratory research) blood in the feces, vomiting with blood;
• with lung cancer, the patient coughs up blood;
• cancer in the cervix proceeds with blood secretion from the vagina;
• a swelling of the bladder or kidney resolves with blood in the urine.

The appearance of one of the listed symptoms should alert a person, even if spotting was observed once. Contact a specialist immediately to examine the problem organ.

Compression (squeezing)

This phenomenon is associated with the pressure of cancer cells on the nerve fibers, surrounding tissues and organs. It manifests itself in two positions:

1. pain;
2. disruption of the organ.

When squeezed, pain is more common. They do not appear immediately, they arise only when the tumor grows in size, its germination or pressure on the nerve endings.
At first, the pain is weak, dull, aching in nature. Further, it intensifies, does not interrupt, becomes acute, and with the progression of the tumor to a late stage, it becomes unbearable. Pain in oncological processes of a certain organ is different:

• with kidney tumors, cancer of the body of the stomach, liver, pancreas, bone sarcomas, pain is called the main symptom;
• with neoplasms in the esophagus, lungs, pain is not felt so often;
• very rarely hurts with cancer of the external organs.

Colon cancer on the right side usually invades its limits, so aching pain is common. At the same time, for the tumor of the left side of the colon, blockage is more characteristic, causing intestinal obstruction and attacks of acute pain.

Intoxication (poisoning)

Cancer cells disrupt metabolism - enzyme, carbohydrate, protein, hormonal. This causes intoxication. Its symptoms are varied, but the leading doctors call lack of appetite, loss of body weight, general weakness. The manifestation of these clinical signs increases with the increase in the mass of malignant cells, respectively, they are typical for the later stages of pathology.

However, there are also observations when a lack of appetite, loss of body weight, general weakness are also manifested with small sizes of malignant tumors. Therefore, with an unreasonable, unmotivated occurrence of such symptoms, it is important to consult with a specialist who will prescribe an examination in order to detect a tumor in time.

Symptoms of toxin poisoning are characteristic of cancer of the internal organs and are more pronounced in cancer of the liver, pancreas, and tumors in the stomach. And this is due, among other things, to a disorder in the digestion of food in the stomach and intestines. The dynamics of systemic signs of malignant formation in the stomach develops in stages. At first, it is a slight loss of body weight, slight fatigue, a very slight decrease in mood, unsatisfactory sensations after eating. The development of symptoms ends with an absolute loss of appetite, a sudden general breakdown, and extreme exhaustion. This complex of intoxication symptoms is called "small signs of a stomach tumor" and occupies a special place in the recognition of oncological processes.

Carcinomas of other organs of the digestive tract (liver, esophagus, pancreas) make themselves felt in the reverse order: first, a general breakdown, then weight loss, loss of appetite. Less commonly, these symptoms are found in carcinomas of the terminal part of the colon and sigmoid colon.
Also, the symptoms of toxin poisoning are characteristic of patients with lung cancer, but practically do not appear in cancer of the skin, uterus, and breast.

Tumor formation

The formation of a tumor can be visible or palpable, revealing a reliable sign of the development of an oncological process. Cancer of the lip or skin usually looks like a small, ulcerated mass covered with crusts or scales. When the top layer is removed, the bottom is visible in the tubercles, drops of blood ooze.
Rounded nodes can be felt in the mammary gland, at the front of the liver. Much less often, tumor formations of the kidneys are recognized by touch, in separate observations - of the pancreas. The blood vessels supply these organs relatively evenly on each side, so the disintegration of the neoplasm does not happen as often as in organs with a cavity.

The cancer that is accessible to the touch is painless, with a dense, bumpy structure. The tumor-like formation does not have a strong protective shell, so it moves along with displaced adjacent tissues. But if malignant cells have penetrated into immobile organs or bones, the tumor also becomes immobile.
The described five phenomena are called the most typical signs of cancer. However, there are other manifestations that suggest the presence of malignant cells in the body.

Violation of specific functions of organs

Many cancer cells disrupt the basic function of organs. This is especially pronounced in malignant formations of the endocrine system and hematopoietic organs:

• • cancer of the lower cerebral epididymis proceeds with symptoms of excessive fat deposition, extinction of sexual desire, regressive changes in the mammary glands and reproductive organs;
  • with carcinomas of the parathyroid glands, they are overproduced

their secretion, increasing the level of calcium in the blood and destroying bone tissue and kidneys;

• malignant cells in the adrenal glands provoke an increase in pressure, disrupt sexual development;
• cancer of the insular apparatus of the pancreas reduces the concentration of glucose in the blood, causes nervous disorders;
• hormone-active ovarian tumors are manifested by the development of male traits in women - hair growth, low timbre of the voice, the formation of female secondary sexual characteristics in men;
• leukemia deeply disrupts the work of the bone marrow, an increase in the number of certain blood cells;
• vocal cord cancer is detected if the voice is hoarse.

Also, large neoplasms, their metastases can indirectly affect the body and provoke symptoms that are atypical for a particular cancer, since there is a deep shift in biochemical parameters in the body:

• blood clots;
• skin rash;
• a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood;
• kidney damage;
• disorders of the blood circulation system;
• increased destruction of erythrocytes - with carcinomas of the stomach, the initial section of the colon, ovaries;
• systemic damage to small and large tubular bones - thickening of the nail plate, fingers in the form of drumsticks, mild inflammation in the joints with lung carcinomas.

These clinical symptoms sometimes appear first at the initial stage of tumor growth as a result of the body's immune responses.

Other causes affecting the clinical picture of the course of cancer

Cancer rarely occurs in a perfectly healthy body. Significant effects on symptoms are exerted by diseases occurring before cancer and associated infection. The previous pathology, as a rule, masks the signs of malignancy and complicates the process of its recognition, since a false impression is created that the disease is neglected.

An example is stomach cancer. Cells are reborn in chronic gastritis or ulcers. Persistent pain and stomach upset in patients with these diagnoses are present for a long time. Malignancy of the organ cells slightly changes the picture of complaints - the pain is constantly pursuing, it is aching, diffused, symptoms of toxin poisoning appear. But this difference is difficult to notice.

Difficulties of a similar principle are observed in the detection of colon cancer in those who suffer from its inflammation - chronic colitis. In such situations, you should be wary if a small amount of blood is found in the stool, or rumbling and bloating in the abdominal cavity periodically occurs in the same place.
When the tumor disintegrates and ulcerates, there are observations of the addition of infection. The biological parameters of the blood change, the pulse quickens, the temperature rises. This phenomenon is typical for lung carcinomas, when the blockage of the bronchus leads to the collapse of the lung, in this place of the organ there is focal pneumonia. However, it is often diagnosed as a respiratory infection or tuberculosis.

Signs of a systemic effect of a tumor on the body

The main condition for the successful treatment of malignant tumors is early diagnosis. To raise awareness of the early signs of cancer, the following are the symptoms that should alert a person when they appear:

1. Unexplained weakness, fatigue, malaise, general discomfort.
2. The appearance of seals under the skin or on the skin, primarily in a woman in the chest, armpits, in men in the groin.
3. Swollen lymph nodes.
4. Impurities of blood, pus, mucus in feces, urine.
5. Long-term pain in the abdominal region, elsewhere.
6. Loss of appetite.
7. Persistent cough, feeling short of breath for a long time.
8. Change in tone of voice, hoarseness, hoarseness.
9. Long-term non-healing wounds or sores.
10. Prolonged unmotivated increase in body temperature up to 38˚C, chills, fever (temporary increase in temperature).
11. Change in the rhythm of bowel emptying.
12. Sudden bleeding.
13. Changes in the appearance and size of moles.
14. Night sweats.
15. Unexplained (without special measures for weight loss) sudden weight loss of more than 5 kg in a relatively short period of time.

Dramatic weight loss (cancerous cachexia) in case of oncological disease occurs even with those patients who do not suffer from normal digestion in this pathology. General depletion occurs due to a decrease in not only adipose tissue, but also muscle tissue at the same time. And this sharp weight loss differs from that that occurs during diets, prolonged fasting.

If these signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Diagnosing a malignant neoplasm involves taking anamnesis, clarifying the process of progression of the pathology, as well as the reasons for its occurrence. The patient is examined, if possible, palpate (probe) the organ itself, secondary lesions. An examination is carried out using instruments, special medical equipment to detect a neoplasm or its shadow projection, as well as to take biological material to study the microscopic composition of cancer cells.

Checking for conditions that may be associated with cancer, or directly detecting malignancy, is called cancer screening. This method will help you navigate how to define cancer... Diagnostic tests establish the possibility of cancer even before the general symptoms.

Screening helps doctors identify some types of cancer at an early stage, which helps to establish timely adequate treatment. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have spread to other tissues, making it less responsive to therapy and worsening the prognosis of the disease.

Types of cancer screenings

• Universal screening (mass):

Includes examination of all representatives of a certain age group.

• Selective screening:

Aimed at people with higher susceptibility, as well as those with a family history of the disease.

Screening is not always effective. It often produces false positives (when there is actually no disease) or false negatives (when cancer is undetermined). Therefore, additional examinations prescribed by the attending oncologist should be carried out in order to identify a possible disease.

Since there are many types of cancer, different symptoms are identified.

To find out for sure how to define cancer, you should initially find out the connection with the organs of tumor dislocation and the duration of observation of some symptoms.

With a prolonged course of the disease, the tumor grows into adjacent tissues (nerves, blood vessels and other cells).

1. Expenditures of a large amount of energy by the body (occurs so that mutated tissues can grow). Because of this, a person feels tired, weak, weight loss, and sometimes fever for no apparent reason.
2. Feeling of seals in some parts of the body. It occurs as a result of the release of toxins by cancer cells into the blood channels. In this case, a tumor forms in the lymph nodes or in the general bloodstream.
3. Constant pain is present because the tumor can affect nerve endings or other organs.
4. Changes in skin condition. The skin becomes discolored or has unexpected pigmentation, rash, or itching.
5. There is persistent or other discharge from the mouth, genitals, nose, ears, or nipple.
6. Open wounds or bruises form that do not respond to antibiotic treatment. Attention should also be paid to mouth ulcers that do not heal and are characterized by an unusual color (red, brownish-red) and uneven edges.
7. Pallor of the skin, combined with weakness and a tendency to infections. Such symptoms may indicate leukemia, bone marrow cancer, etc.

How to determine if there is cancer in advance?

Certain types of cancers can be detected at an early stage under certain conditions. For this, it is recommended to use appropriate diagnostic tests.

Women who are at a higher risk of developing the disease are advised to have mammograms as early as 40 years of age. The procedure is performed for women whose first-line relatives (mother, sister, daughter) were ill with this disease. For prophylactic purposes, women aged 50-74 are recommended to examine the mammary glands every two years.

It is advisable to use a Pap test or others to prevent the disease in young women under 20 and slightly older who are prone to have abnormal cells. For women without risk of disease and without atypical pap smear screening for cervical cancer, it is necessary to diagnose every 3 years, regardless of.

• Bowel cancer

The key to diagnosing colorectal cancer is to identify benign growths called polyps. They can be removed during colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. Also, it is recommended to screen the colon and rectum by taking feces to detect occult blood. The examination must be carried out for people who have this type of oncology, and are also at the age of 50-75 years.

The disease is defined when conditions such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are present. Diagnostics includes special testing, sometimes a biopsy to check for the presence of a prostate-specific antigen.

The disease is determined by tomographic examination, which is recommended to be carried out annually for people aged 55 to 80 years, as well as those who have a thirty-year history of smoking.

• Pancreas cancer

Almost undetectable in the early stages. However, for prophylactic purposes, regular endoscopic ultrasound, as well as MRI and CT scans, are recommended for those at high risk of developing the disease due to congenital genetics and negative family history.

When a question arises: " How to tell if there is cancer?», It is best to consult a doctor who will select the most effective way to diagnose cancer and confirm or refute your suspicions. The choice of a method for detecting cancer depends on the possible location of the tumor. Common basic medical tests for oncology include urinalysis, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, biopsy, ultrasound, radionuclide examination, endoscopy, colonoscopy, physical examination, mammography, and other tests.