In terms of health care, women are typically much more diligent than men are. On the other hand, women also tend to ignore symptoms that could be potential signs of cancer. It’s always important to see your doctor if you happen to notice a new health problem, because the sooner it is able to be explained, the sooner it can be treated. In fact, there are many types of cancer that can be cured if they are detected early enough.
Here are three of the most common symptoms of cancer that are often ignored by women.
*Perhaps one of the most common symptoms of cancer that women tend to ignore is any change in the breast area. Women are always advised to conduct regular self-examinations on their breasts in order to check for lumps; however, there are also other changes that women should watch for as well. For instance, if you happen to notice any redness or thickening skin, these could be indications of inflammatory breast cancer. Additionally, lumps that don’t go away and instead slowly enlarge should also be checked by a doctor right away, as this could be another sign of breast cancer. Regardless of the symptom, the doctor will likely order a test such as an MRI, biopsy, mammogram, or ultrasound.
*Another common symptom of cancer that can often go ignored involves changes in the skin. For instance, moles that change, are irregular in color or shape, etc. are common signs of skin cancer. Additionally, bleeding, pigmentation changes, excessive scaling, etc. are further signs of skin cancer as well. Any of these changes that are noticed should be told to a doctor right away.
*One other common cancer symptom that often gets ignored is having difficulty swallowing. This is something that could be a sign of possible gastrointestinal cancer, such as esophageal cancer. This is something that should be examined by your doctor immediately, as they will be able to perform a physical. Furthermore, they can also order tests such as an endoscopy and/or chest x-ray.
