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Cancer is one of the most important and prominent causes of death, not only in our country but also worldwide.

It is now fully accepted that the prevention of cancer is the most important step in its effective treatment, a step directly related to the course of the disease of patients and their subsequent quality of life.

A large percentage of newly diagnosed cancer cases can either be avoided or treated effectively at an early stage of the disease, by adhering to clear health and dietary factors in our daily lives, following the relevant primary health care protocols that have existed for years, as well as by adequately and clearly evaluating the possible symptoms and signs, which are a harbinger of the existence of a possible cancerous disease.

Early detection – diagnosis and treatment of cancer consists of three basic stages:

1. The immediate assessment and awareness of the early symptoms of different forms of cancer and the importance of seeking medical advice and help when they are observed.
2. Access to clinical assessment and diagnosis services.
3. The timely referral of patients to health facilities capable of offering treatment services.

Emphasizing the importance of the first stage of early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, it is important to mention the most common signs and symptoms of the disease in the general population as well as the enormous diversity and complexity of the disease, both in its diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

More specifically:

Breast

Referring mainly to women but also to men, it is important to always evaluate the presence of any palpable breast mass, especially when it causes pain during palpation and/or is fixed to the mammary gland. Also, the presence of painful redness in the breast and/or in the nipple area with its retraction, as well as the presence of bloody discharge from the nipple, are elements that should alarm us and make us seek immediate medical help.

Breast cancer was the No. 1 type of newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2020 worldwide.

Lung

The use of inhaled tobacco (smoking) belongs to one third of the causes characterized as responsible for the development of cancer.

At this stage, it is important to know that a persistent cough that does not subside or worsens, the presence of blood-tinged sputum, chest pain that is relieved by deep inhalation, hoarseness, loss of appetite and weight, as well as recurrent lower respiratory tract infections may be signs and symptoms due to the presence of lung cancer.

Lung cancer was the No. 1 cause of death from cancer in 2020. Unfortunately, it is a disease that is mostly diagnosed in later stages, after it has shown signs of a late stage of the disease (paraneoplastic syndromes, signs of generalized carcinomatosis), therefore it is crucial to evaluate early symptoms.

Intestine

The incorrect health and dietary habits of the Western world, the obvious increase in the average body mass index (BMI) as well as the overconsumption of ethyl alcohol from a young age, are determining factors for the occurrence of intestinal cancer.

Changes in chronic bowel habits (presence of either diarrhea or constipation), difficulty swallowing mainly solid foods, bloody stools or pure blood loss from the rectum, the presence of black stools, acute persistent pain in the abdomen without remission, obvious weight loss and a feeling of malaise and fatigue are early signs and symptoms that should be immediately evaluated by a specialist for further investigation and treatment.

Digestive tract cancer, combined with liver cancer, is the largest statistical cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

Urinary system

Urinary system cancer is a disease that often escapes the early attention of the general population due to the intermittent presence of its signs and symptoms.

At this point, special attention should be paid to the presence of hematuria, regardless of its quantity and frequency of occurrence. Also, the presence of intermittent pain in the renal areas should, in this case, alarm us.

It should be noted here that the diversity of symptoms of kidney cancer is enormous (multiple paraneoplastic manifestations) with the presence of a vague feeling of fatigue, sweating of unexplained etiology, headaches and other non-specific symptoms.

At this point, it should be emphasized that the presence of pain in the lower abdomen – pelvic region as well as changes in urination habits (more frequent feeling of urination, small and intermittent urination, pain during urination and/or hematuria) in men may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

Skin

The largest organ of the human body is the skin.

The presence of changes in the quality and appearance of a mole or even the presence of a wound – ulcer on the skin that does not heal, are signs that may indicate a cancerous background.

Mapping moles and examining the skin by a specialist health provider is, in each case, an extremely necessary and important step in the prevention of skin cancer.

At this point, it should be emphasized that non-specific symptoms concerning the skin organ, such as persistent itching, dry skin, change in skin tone, etc., may indicate the presence of cancer of other systems in an early phase.

Gynecological organs

In the general category of cancer of the gynecological organs, a multitude of early signs and symptoms of possible cancer can be placed, always evaluating these in combination with whether the patient is in a reproductive, premenopausal or menopausal phase.

It is worth mentioning here the presence of bloody content from the vagina without a clear gynecological foreseeable cause.

In addition, the presence of pain in the lower abdomen – pelvic region, either spontaneous or triggered during sexual intercourse, menstrual disorders, the feeling of abdominal fullness, throbbing pain in the perineum as well as the feeling of rapid filling of the bladder are signs worthy of immediate medical evaluation.

Blood

In the large and extremely important category of blood malignancies, many signs and symptoms worthy of attention can be mentioned, as these are diseases with great diversity both in their clinical manifestation and in the response to treatment.

Night sweats, a vague feeling of malaise and fatigue, weight loss, diffuse bone pain (mainly of the axial skeleton), vague susceptibility to infections, the presence of a bleeding tendency (bleeding gums when brushing teeth are a very common symptom) and palpation of lymph nodes (palpable painless lymphadenopathy) are the most common and important signs and symptoms of possible hematological malignancies which should be further examined by a specialist.

Thyroid

The thyroid disease in question can manifest itself with a multitude of clinical symptoms, due to the nature of the thyroid gland organ and its function.

The presence of swelling in the neck or the presence of edema in the anterior cervical compartment with or without the presence of painful stimuli, are the most common findings compatible with a possible malignant process of the thyroid gland. Other symptoms may include difficulty swallowing and hoarseness.

Cancer can be treated, giving the patient highly satisfactory survival rates as well as excellent quality of life, as long as it is diagnosed in a timely manner. The appropriate and adequate evaluation of early symptoms is what will give us this result.