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Signs
and Symptoms of Cancers
Symptoms are placed into three separate categories,
namely: local, metastasis and systemic. Local symptoms
are the first to occur which manifest through unusual
lumps or tumor formation, hemorrhage, ulceration and
pain. Metastasis symptoms indicate that the abnormal
cells have begun to spread and affect nearby regions
as presented by cough, hemoptysis or coughing out
blood, hepatomegaly or enlarged liver, neurological
symptoms, enlarged lymph nodes and bone pain.
Systemic symptoms indicate that the cancer
has spread in most regions of the body affecting most
major organs and the system as a whole. Usual manifestations
are muscle wasting or cachexia, poor appetite, loss
of weight, night sweats or diaphoresis, anemia, thrombosis
and hormonal abnormalities. Other notable symptoms
include blurring of vision, fatigability, headaches,
fever, nausea and vomiting.
Types of Cancers
In the United States, almost half of all males and
one-third of all females are afflicted with cancer
or has had cancer. Cancer constitutes one-fourth
of all deaths in most developed countries. The most
common type is prostate cancer followed by lung cancer
then breast
cancer. There are also cancer of the liver,
colon or colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder
cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, bone cancer,
cutaneous melanoma or skin cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma
and leukemia.
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