Cancer Symptoms

Don't fear the worst, but do something about your fears. Now is the time to make an appointment with your health care provider to find out the source of your cough. (And maybe it's time to get help and quit smoking.) Many symptoms that indicate cancer may be signs of a less serious illness. But the earlier that cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat. So see your health care provider if you have any of the following symptoms:

• a change in bowel or bladder habits

• a sore that does not heal

• unusual bleeding or discharge, especially from the rectum or vagina

• a thickening or lump in a breast or elsewhere

• indigestion or difficulty in swallowing

• an obvious change in the size, shape, color, ulceration or bleeding of a wart or mole

• a nagging cough or hoarseness

Other possible signs of cancer include a constant, low-grade fever, fatigue, unusual and persistent headaches with changes in vision or behavior, nagging and unexplained pain in the bones or elsewhere, easy bruising, loss of appetite, and sudden, unexpected weight loss.