7. Skin Changes
The skin offers a window to what is going on inside the body and skin changes can be the first sign of internal malignancy. Skin discolorations such as yellowing skin or darkening skin are important signs of internal disease. Redness or bruise like coloring of the breast is an early sign for inflammatory breast cancer, as are changes in the texture of the skin such as dimpling. Itching is another common symptom in many types of cancers. Up to 30% of people with Hodgkin lymphoma have itching of the whole body. Itching is often worse on the legs and chest. Sometimes skin changes can be seen on the nail folds and cuticles and even noticing subtle changes can lead to early cancer diagnosis. When it comes to skin cancer, existing moles that develop irregular borders and change in shape or size must be examined. Any new growths or dark spots, dry, scaly or pinkish patches or any sores that change, itch or bleed and won’t heal may also indicate skin cancer, where early treatment is essential.
8. Fever or Night Sweats
A fever is a rise in normal body temperature, generally 36- 37ºC. When you have a fever, your body temperature rises above 38ºC (100.4ºF). When it is between 37ºC and 38ºC, it is called a low grade fever. A fever is the body’s response to infection or illness and if is raised for some time, it can be a sign that something more serious is wrong. Cancer accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of fevers where the origin is unknown. Fever may be a sign of early cancer in the case of blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma. Fever may also reveal colon and kidney cancer at an early stage. Fevers related to cancer are persistent, meaning they last longer than three days or come and go repeatedly. It may occur with or without other symptoms. How high a fever is does not indicate the severity of a condition. A persistent low-grade fever may be an early warning sign even though the fever itself is not high. All such fevers require further investigation.