Early detection of the condition is crucial, claims Cancer Research UK. A spokeswoman added, "Cancer that is diagnosed at an early stage, when it is not too large and has not spread, is more likely to be treated successfully."
However, some malignancies can be found earlier than others. According to experts, some are not discovered until symptoms start to appear. This can happen when the disease has spread or when a tumour has gotten big enough to be felt or seen on imaging tests.
For instance, many skin malignancies can be found by observing skin changes, which you might do on a daily basis. However, as one study discovered, some kinds of the disease might develop and spread undiagnosed for 10 years or longer, making treatment more challenging.
It's not that these malignancies don't have any symptoms; rather, the early symptoms are comparable to those of other, less severe medical diseases.
These three malignancies are exceptionally difficult to detect in their initial phases.
We've highlighted the three most prevalent malignancies that go undetected and advise you to be very conscious of them-
Bowel Cancer
At its earliest stages, bowel cancer frequently shows few or no symptoms.
The second biggest cause of cancer-related fatalities worldwide is bowel cancer. Globally, it was projected that there were more than 9,30,000 deaths from colorectal cancer in 2020 and more than 1.9 million new instances of the disease.
It is proposed that developing nations like India are experiencing an increase in incidence rates.
Occasionally, doctors will feel a bulge in your rectum or stomach, generally on the right side.
Symptoms-
- Rectal bleeding
- Alterations to typical bowel patterns, such as loose motions
- Increased frequency of bathroom visits
- Constipation that is unbearably bad
Another indication can be that even after opening your bowels, you still feel like you need to push to poop.
The increased prevalence can be attributed to changing lifestyles, which include eating diets high in calories and poor in fibre, consuming a lot of processed foods, and being inactive. For India to enable early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, cost-effective solutions are required.
Cancer of the pancreas
Of all prevalent cancers, pancreatic has the lowest overall survival rate. With 10860 new cases (1.03%) and 18th in mortality, the pancreas is ranked 24th in India. It is predicted that PC adoption rates would rise in the near future as a result of changing lifestyles both internationally and in India.
More people over the age of 65 (more than 50%) are affected by the disease. The Northeastern Indian regions have the highest incidence.
Risk factors include-
- Smoking
- Heavy drinking
- A non-vegetarian diet (which may be changed)
- Age, race, and genetic predispositions (which cannot be changed)
Cancer incidence in five continents (CI5-XI), GLOBOCAN-2018, and an Indian Council of Medical Research paper on an Indian cancer registry database are used to calculate incidence and mortality rates.
Early symptoms-
According to the NHS, the five symptoms of the disease that could be misdiagnosed as other ailments or minor aches and pains are
- Chronic stomach aches
- Backaches
- Indigestion
- Unexplained weight loss
- Changes in bowel habits
Jaundice, swallowing issues, and vomiting are some more symptoms that could be more evident.
Because pancreatic illness prevents the generation of insulin, patients may also experience the symptoms of diabetes.
Ovarian cancer
From 1984 to 2014, ovarian cancer rates showed a consistent upward trend, with a greater slope in Bangalore and Bhopal. Higher AARs in the 40-44+ age range in Northeast regions have been associated with younger ages of occurrence.
To stop the silent killer, early detection is essential.
According to doctors at Harvard Medical School, the reason the condition is often referred to "silent killer" is because it frequently doesn't manifest evident signs until it has progressed to a more serious level.
The NHS says there are two early warning signs of the sickness that you might detect in the loo, though we should always be mindful of any new changes in our bodies.
Symptoms of the deadly disease-
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
Conclusion
Our body builds up more of these defects in genes as we age, greatly increasing our risk of developing cancer.
But as cancer rates rise among the younger population, it becomes concerning.
Cancer is a multi-factorial disease, and there is no single-known cause for it. However, some of the worrying factors that contribute to the rise in cancer cases in India are the adoption of a western lifestyle, a lack of exercise when the generation could choose yoga, processed foods and food additives when one could regularly fast and opt for a healthier diet, and exposure to chemicals when better alternatives can be found in nature.
A healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the risk of while conscious detection of body abnormalities can lead to successful treatment of the condition.
Please, also have a look into : Detecting early signs of stomach cancer