Spotting cancer early means treatment is more likely to be successful.
One in two people will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime.
There are hundreds of different types of cancer, making it hard to be aware of each one, but having a basic understanding of the four most common types in the UK – breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancer – is a good place to start.
How does cancer cause signs and symptoms?
A cancer can grow into, or begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
General cancer symptoms
- Fatigue or extreme tiredness for no clear reason
- Weight loss for no known reason
- Swelling or lumps anywhere in the body
- Pain or aches, with no known reason
- Cough, croaky voice or hoarseness that does not go away
- Unusual bleeding or bruising for no known reason
- Change in bowel habits, such as constipation that doesn’t go away or a change in how your stools look
- Bladder changes such as pain when passing urine
- Fever or very heavy night sweats
- Headaches
- Vision or hearing problems
- Mouth changes such as sores, bleeding, pain, or numbness
Making lifestyle changes
Every year, there are 17 million new cases of cancer worldwide, and in 2020, approximately 10 million people died of this devastating disease. While there’s no definitive way to prevent the illness, making positive lifestyle changes could reduce your risk level.
According to Cancer Research UK, excessively drinking alcohol could increase your risk of mouth cancer, pharyngeal cancer, oesophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, breast cancer, bowel cancer and liver cancer. Drinking alcohol in moderation could help you stay healthy.
