15 Cancer Symptoms Men Should Not Ignore

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

As soon as you notice them, go to the hospital so as not to risk your health.

UPD. Text updated on Aug 24, 2019 with more scientific evidence from verified sources.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to the WHO, 9.6 million people died from it in 2018. Early diagnosis greatly increases the chances of recovery, so do not delay your visit to the doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms.

1. Problems with urination

Over the years, many men have the following problems:

• desire to urinate more often, especially at night;
• urinary incontinence, the need to urinate urgently;
• difficulty at the beginning of urination, weak urine pressure.

Typically, these signs are caused by an enlarged prostate gland. But prostate cancer should not be ruled out either.

See your doctor to find out the reasons for the discomfort. You will have to undergo an unpleasant, but extremely necessary procedure for a digital rectal examination and take a blood test for a PSA (prostate specific antigen) level. In the presence of cancer, the prostate gland produces an increased amount of it.

2. Changes in the testicles

If you notice a lump, lump, or any other change in your testicle, go to the hospital right away. Unlike prostate cancer, which develops slowly enough, testicular cancer grows much faster. Make an appointment for a medical examination, get a blood test and undergo an ultrasound of the scrotal organs.

3. Blood in urine and feces

This could be one of the first signs of bladder, kidney, or colon cancer. Even if you have no other complaints, contact the polyclinic for help. It may turn out that the cause is hemorrhoids or urinary tract infections, but with their treatment, too, should not be delayed.

4. Skin changes

Have you noticed changes in the size, shape, or color of the mole? Or have you discovered a new gray, pink, or pinkish-yellow stain on your skin? These are the main signs of skin cancer.

See a dermatologist or oncologist. You may need to undergo a biopsy, a diagnostic procedure for taking a small piece of tissue for examination. This is an unpleasant procedure, but do not delay your visit to the doctor because of it.

5. Changes in the lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are small, bean-like formations that can be felt in some parts of the body. For example, on the neck, under the jaw, in the armpits and groin. They function as filters, and their increase usually signals an increased work of the body's immunity. As a rule, this is the fight of the immune system against colds or infections.

But some cancers can also cause swollen lymph nodes. See your doctor if any swelling you find does not shrink within three weeks.

6. Problems with swallowing

Some people have similar difficulties from time to time, and they may not attach any importance to it. The cause may be dysphagia, a disorder of the act of swallowing. But if this starts to happen regularly and at the same time you are losing weight or experiencing vomiting, it is worth checking your throat and stomach for cancers. During the examination, the patient swallows a liquid with the addition of barium. This chemical element glows when exposed to X-rays.

7. Heartburn

Changing your diet, drinking alcohol, getting into a stressful situation can all cause heartburn. In such cases, it is enough to take medication and change your diet. If this does not work and the heartburn persists within two to three weeks, see your doctor. It can be a symptom of eating disorders, as well as throat or stomach cancer.

Chronic heartburn, even if not caused by cancer, is also a dangerous disease. It can damage the lining of the esophagus. And this eventually leads to a problem like Barrett's esophagus. In this disease, healthy cells of the epithelium are replaced by precancerous ones.

8. Changes in the oral cavity

The risk of malignant tumors in the mouth area increases significantly if you smoke or chew tobacco. If you notice white, yellow, gray, or red spots in your mouth or lips, it's time to see a doctor. Consult your dentist or oncologist for advice.

9. Weight loss

Are your old clothes suddenly too big? It's okay if you've played sports, switched to strenuous physical activity, improved your diet, or have been nervous for a while. Otherwise, you should be on your guard. “Accidental” weight loss can indicate a wide range of health problems. Including cancer of the pancreas, lungs and stomach. Only a detailed examination will give an accurate diagnosis.

10. Rise in temperature

Fever itself means the body is fighting some kind of infection. But an unreasonable, incessant rise in temperature may indicate a disease with leukemia or another type of blood cancer.

11. Changes in the breast

Although breast cancer is significantly less common in men than in women, do not ignore suspicious symptoms. If you feel seals in this area, and even more so if they are accompanied by pain, go through the examination as soon as possible.

12. Fatigue

Cancer diseases cause deep chronic fatigue, which even a month's vacation in warm regions will not help get rid of. If you are regularly resting and are not stressed, but the feeling of exhaustion does not go away for a long time, consult your doctor. Perhaps it’s not cancer, but some other disease, but it’s better not to risk it.

13. Cough

In a non-smoker, a aching cough is usually not associated with cancer, and most often it goes away within a month. If the symptom persists, while you do not have enough breathing or blood droplets are released in the process, you should immediately consult a doctor. The clinic will take a sputum sample from your lungs and take a chest x-ray.

14. Pain

More often than not, pain is caused by other causes. But if they do not stop within a month and nothing can explain them, it is possible that malignant formations have appeared in some organ. Do not tolerate pain, see a doctor and get tested.

15. Depression and abdominal pain

In rare cases, depression along with abdominal pain can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Should you worry? Most likely not, if your family did not have a similar disease. But it's still better to check.