What symptoms help identify cancer in the early stages? Symptoms of cancer. What can cause cancer

Checking for conditions that may be associated with cancer or directly detecting it malignant formation, called cancer screening. This method will help you navigate how to identify cancer. Diagnostic tests establish the possibility of cancer even before general symptoms.

Screening helps doctors detect certain types of cancer early stages, which facilitates the establishment of timely and adequate treatment. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have spread to other tissues, making it less responsive to treatment and worsening the prognosis of the disease.

How much does cancer treatment cost in Russia today? You can estimate the amount of the final check and consider alternative options to combat the disease.

Leading clinics abroad

Types of cancer screenings

• Universal screening (mass):

Includes examination of all representatives of a certain age group.

• Selective screening:

Aimed at people susceptible to higher risk, as well as those with a family history of the disease.

Screening is not always effective. It often results in false positives (when the disease is not actually present) or false negatives (when the presence of cancer is not determined). Therefore, it should be carried out additional examinations prescribed by the treating oncologist to identify a possible disease.

Since there are many types of cancer, different symptoms are identified.

To find out for sure how to identify cancer, the connection with the organs of tumor dislocation and the duration of observation of some symptoms should initially be clarified.

At long term diseases, the tumor grows into neighboring tissues (nerves, blood vessels and other cells).

1. Costs to the body large quantity energy (occurs so that mutated tissues can grow). Because of this, a person feels tired, weak, loses weight, and sometimes has a fever for no apparent reason.
2. Feeling a lump in some areas of the body. It occurs due to the release of toxins by cancer cells into the blood channels. In this case, a tumor forms in lymph nodes or in the general bloodstream.
3. There are constant painful sensations, since the tumor can affect nerve endings or other organs.
4. Changes in skin condition. The skin changes color or develops unexpected pigmentation, as well as a rash or itching.
5. Persistent or other discharge has appeared from the mouth, genitals, nose, ears or nipple.
6. Are formed open wounds or bruises that cannot be touched antibacterial treatment. Attention should also be paid to mouth ulcers that do not heal and are characterized by unusual color(red, brown-red) and jagged edges.
7. Pallor skin combined with weakness and susceptibility to infections. Such symptoms may indicate leukemia, bone marrow cancer, etc.

Leading specialists from clinics abroad

How to determine if there is cancer in advance?

Some types cancer diseases can be detected in the early stages under certain conditions. To do this, it is recommended to use appropriate diagnostic tests.

Women who are exposed to more high risk occurrence of the disease, it is recommended to do mammography before the age of 40 years. The procedure is performed for women whose first-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) suffered from this disease. For preventive purposes, women aged 50-74 are recommended to examine their mammary glands every two years.

It is advisable to use a Pap test or others to prevent the disease in young women under 20 years of age and slightly older who tend to have abnormal cells. For women without risk of the disease and without an atypical Pap smear for cervical cancer screening, diagnosis should be carried out every 3 years, regardless of age.

• Bowel cancer

The main thing in diagnosing colorectal cancer is the definition benign formations called polyps. They can be removed during colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. It is also recommended to screen the colon and rectum by collecting stool to detect occult blood. The examination should be carried out for people who have this type of cancer and are also aged 50-75 years.

The disease is defined by the presence of conditions such as urinary incontinence and erectile disfunction. Diagnosis includes special testing, sometimes a biopsy, to monitor the presence of prostate-specific antigen.

The disease is determined by tomographic examination, which is recommended to be carried out annually for people aged 55 to 80 years, as well as for those who have a thirty-year history of smoking.

• Pancreas cancer

Modern patients are increasingly choosing the video consultation format to receive recommendations from the most famous doctors, regardless of geolocation.

Almost undetectable in the early stages. However, for preventive purposes, regular endoscopic examination is recommended. ultrasonography, as well as MRI and CT scans for individuals at high risk of developing the disease due to congenital genetics and negative family history.

When a question arises: “ How to determine if there is cancer?", it is best to consult a doctor who will select the most effective method diagnosing cancer and will confirm or refute your suspicions. The choice of cancer detection method depends on the possible location of the tumor. General basic medical tests to determine oncology include urinalysis, magnetic resonance scanning, computed tomography, biopsy, ultrasound, radionuclide examination, endoscopy, colonoscopy, examination, mammography and other studies.

It must be said that cancer is a chaotic, rapid and uncontrolled cell division in which tumors arise in a tissue or organ. Cells that divide in in rare cases can spread to other parts of the body through lymphatic system or blood flow. Cancer in adulthood is often associated with the aging process. Nowadays, diagnosing cancer in the early stages and modern methods treatments help people cope various types of this disease. We will describe how to find out if you have cancer.

What can cause cancer?

People talk about cancer so often, but few people know what causes it and what doesn't. In order to separate horror stories from the real threat of cancer, recognized world experts have compiled the following list of carcinogens:

tobacco. In the 50s, the first study was conducted on the ability of tobacco to cause lung cancer. When calculating overall cancer mortality, a quarter of them are, in one way or another, associated with smoking.

Alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with 50% of cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, and 75% of esophageal cancer. For some reason, this information does not frighten Russians, judging by the fact that, according to drug treatment data in Russia, there are 7 million officially identified alcoholics.

Canned vegetables. Before the invention of refrigerators, canning was very popular throughout the world, as was stomach cancer.

Dye. It is called one of the causes of cancer Bladder and lung cancer. It's about only about people who are constantly in contact with paint - professional painters.

Teflon coatings. There are quite a few studies that indicate that using non-stick coatings can cause cancer.

Work night shifts. Scientists believe that working at night can cause cancer. The fact is that when working constantly in night shift, the production of melatonin, a hormone regulating The biological clock.

Cell Phones. From the very beginning mobile phones They are blamed for all human ills, cancer is no exception. But this time scientists disagreed in their opinions, some argue that a mobile phone should be considered possible reason cancer, but found no other links between phones and cancer. In any case, it is better to play it safe and not use your mobile phone for long conversations.

How to tell if you have cancer based on symptoms.

To detect in time cancerous tumor in the body, you need to listen to it. You can find out whether a person has cancer by looking at general and specific symptoms of this disease.

TO general symptoms cancer include:

Unexplained weight loss. Most people with cancer experience sudden weight loss at some point during their illness. Unexplained weight loss of 4-5 kg ​​is the first sign of stomach, lung, esophagus or pancreas cancer.

Fever (increased temperature). With cancer, especially with a widespread process, an increase in temperature is very often observed.

Increased fatigue. This symptom may indicate the progression of the disease in the human body; it occurs in stomach or colon cancer.

Pain. It may be an early sign of tumors.

Skin changes. In addition to skin tumors, there are some types of cancer internal organs which may cause yellowing, darkening, redness, itching or overgrowth hair.

Specific symptoms of cancer include:

bowel or bladder dysfunction;

non-healing ulcer or wound;

unusual discharge or bleeding;

tumor formation or lump in the mammary gland (sometimes in other parts of the body);

difficulty swallowing, indigestion;

change in mole or wart;

According to statistics, almost 2% of all people living in the Russian Federation today are cancer patients. Every year since cancer diagnosis more than 500 thousand Russians face. Despite the frightening statistics, experts say that cancer is not a death sentence.

“Oncology is certainly dangerous and very serious illness. However, you need to understand that there are thousands of species and subspecies oncological diseases. And most of them are curable, subject to high-quality diagnosis and therapy,” says founder and CEO oncology diagnostic service "UNIM" Alexey Remez.

According to the expert, the earlier cancer is detected, the higher the chance of recovery.

"Very good example serves as melanoma, known to everyone aggressive cancer skin - when detected on zero stage, when germination is still very small, and with high-quality removal, recovery is achieved in 99% of cases, while when treating melanoma at stage 4, the chance of living for five years with such a diagnosis is about 15%,” Remez noted.

Find and neutralize

Treatment of cancer in any country is based on protocols developed by the international medical community, which are based on an analysis of collective medical experience. However, before starting to treat a person, it is important to make an accurate diagnosis.

A person should be wary and consult a doctor if he begins to rapidly lose weight for no particular reason, nausea, weakness and pain appear, explained oncologist Andrey Koritsky.

“In addition, a person should be wary of unusual discharge (bloody, purulent, mucous), prolonged causeless increase in body temperature, frequent exacerbations chronic disease and the emergence of a new formation,” the oncologist warned.

The first stage of cancer diagnosis is screening.

“Screening is a mass examination of people at risk for a certain type diseases in the absence of symptoms,” the doctor explained.

There are a series of screening measures that help detect cancer at an early stage. For example, women aged 20 to 40 years are advised to undergo an annual breast ultrasound, and after 40 years, replace the procedure with mammography.

“To exclude cervical cancer, women over 20 years of age should undergo a liquid oncocytological examination (smear) using the Papanicolaou method (PAP test) and testing for the presence of oncogenic types of human papilloma viruses using the Papanicolaou method. polymerase chain reaction(HPV test),” Koritsky said.

Men and women over 40 also need to have a colonoscopy every five years. And representatives of the stronger sex should additionally take a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to prevent the development of cancer prostate gland.

“Representatives of all population groups should also undergo an annual review ultrasound of their organs abdominal cavity and radiography of organs chest. IN Lately Also, periodic gastroscopy with biopsy of the mucous membrane to exclude stomach cancer is coming to the fore,” the oncologist noted.

If, after screening, the therapist suspects a malignant neoplasm or the doctor is alarmed by the patient’s complaints, the person is prescribed additional tests.

"It can be lab tests And instrumental studies- MRI, CT, endoscopic examinations(FGDS, colonoscopy). If cancer is suspected, the patient is referred to an appointment with an oncologist, where the issue of histological examination“,” Koritsky described the procedure.

To confirm or refute the diagnosis, the specialist first performs a biopsy - cutting out a piece of tissue or organ from the patient for examination. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, or during surgery. Next, the resulting material enters the pathomorphological laboratory, where it is processed and stored, making paraffin blocks and histological slides, which will then be examined by a pathologist under a microscope.

One step away from error

Having received the results of histological examination, the oncologist can select the treatment that is most effective for this type of cancer - surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, etc.

However, experts advise not to rely on the opinion of one specialist, but to seek advice from several centers with test results. In this case, the patient can independently send histological slides to another laboratory so that another pathologist can confirm or correct the diagnosis.

“One of our clients was diagnosed with an epithelial tumor, but the origin of the tumor could not be determined locally. She turned to us for research because in the laboratory oncology clinic they did not do the immunohistochemistry she needed. Based on the results of the study, a rare form of a dangerous lymphoproliferative disease was identified - myeloid sarcoma with monoblastic differentiation. However, due to the peculiarities of the form of this disease, the patient's blood test was ideal, and she did not fully appreciate the complexity of the situation. Pathological process had already developed, and in the absence of treatment the prognosis would be sad - no more than a month of life. Ultimately, we managed to convince her to consult a specialist again and begin treatment for the disease,” Remez gave an example.

At the same time, according to the expert, according to the company’s internal statistics, more than 40% of incoming diagnoses turn out to be erroneous when reviewed.

Immunohistochemistry is a highly accurate diagnostic method that allows the detection of tumor antigens. It is widely used for installation final diagnosis in oncological practice.

Lymphoproliferative disease is a group of diseases in which the cells that make up the immune system, - lymphocytes. If the tumor arises in the bone marrow, the term "leukemia" is used. Neoplasms that arise in lymphoid tissue outside the bone marrow are called lymphomas.

*** Myeloid sarcoma- a malignant tumor consisting of immature white blood cells of the bone marrow (leukemic myeloblasts).

WebMD specialists (the largest American portal on the topic of healthcare and at the same time a community of doctors) collected several symptoms that are associated with oncology. A person may not realize that he is sick with something, but the body gives him signals every time.

Continuous cough
WebMB doctors note that if a person does not smoke, there is little chance that such a symptom is associated with cancer. Most likely, cough can be caused by postnasal drip, asthma, acid reflux or some kind of infection...

However, if the cough does not stop for a long time, or you see blood in your sputum, you should immediately consult a doctor, take a sputum test and take a chest x-ray.

Bloating
You may feel bloated due to poor nutrition or even stress, but if it does not go away or other symptoms appear, such as fatigue, weight loss, back pain, consult a specialist.

Persistent bloating in women may be a sign of ovarian cancer. The doctor will conduct necessary examination and find out the reason.

Problems with urination
Many men mature age face problems such as frequent or difficult urination, urine leakage. These may be signs of prostate adenoma.

But the same symptoms also signal cancer. Contact your doctor, he may advise you to do a special blood test.

Heat
By her own heat– this is not a bad thing: most often it signals that your body is fighting an infection. The fever may appear as by-effect some medications. But frequent or constant increase Temperature without obvious reasons can also be a symptom of blood cancer.

Heartburn or indigestion
This happens to almost everyone, often due to poor diet or stress. But if the disorder does not go away when you change your diet, your doctor may suggest you get tested to find out the cause. Digestive problems may be a sign of stomach cancer.

Blood in stool or urine
If you find blood when visiting the toilet, consult a doctor immediately. Most often, the presence of blood in the stool is a symptom of hemorrhoids - inflammation of the hemorrhoidal veins. But it can also indicate colorectal cancer.

Blood in the urine is also a sign infectious diseases urinary tract, and a symptom of kidney or bladder cancer.

Changes in the testicles
If you notice lumps or swelling on your testicles, this is serious reason urgently run to the doctor. Painless bumps– the most common sign of testicular cancer.

The doctor must conduct an examination and, if necessary, prescribe ultrasound examination to determine the possible presence of a tumor.

Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty swallowing can be caused by a cold, acid reflux, or even taking certain medications. But if your symptoms persist, see your doctor—difficulty swallowing may be a sign of throat or esophageal cancer.

The doctor will prescribe an examination, for example, an x-ray with barium - a special contrast agent, providing a clear image in the photo.

Unusual vaginal bleeding
Non-menstrual bleeding may occur due to various reasons– from fibroids to reactions to certain hormonal contraceptives. Still, tell your gynecologist if you experience bleeding between periods, after sex, or bloody issues. This is not normal in any case. Your doctor should do a test to rule out cancer of the uterus, cervix, or vagina.

Changes in oral cavity
From unpleasant odor to ulcers - most changes in the mouth are not life-threatening. But if you have white or red spots or mouth sores that don't heal within a few weeks, especially if you smoke, run to the doctor! These symptoms may be a sign of oral cancer.

Other warning signs include a lump in the cheek, problems with jaw movement, or pain in the mouth.

Weight loss
Of course, you can lose weight by changing your diet or exercising hard. gym. You can lose weight for other reasons - due to stress or problems with the thyroid gland. But sudden loss weight without obvious reason- a warning sign. This may be the first sign of pancreatic, stomach, esophageal or lung cancer.

Chronic fatigue
Many factors can cause fatigue, and most of them are not dangerous, but sometimes fatigue is one of the early signs of some type of cancer. Thus, colon or stomach cancer can lead to internal bleeding, the only sign of which may be chronic fatigue. If you are exhausted, and even good rest unable to correct the situation, consult a doctor.

Enlarged lymph nodes
These small glands in the shape of a bean there is on the neck, in the armpits, and in other places. Their increase may indicate the presence of an infection in the body, sometimes as simple as ARVI.

But some types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia, can also cause enlarged lymph nodes.

Breast changes
Most breast changes are unrelated to cancer. Still, it is better to inform your doctor about them. Any lumps, changes in the nipples, discharge, redness and pain in the breasts can be alarming symptoms.

The doctor may order an examination - mammography, MRI or biopsy.

Skin changes
A new spot on the skin that changes size, color or shape can very often be a sign of skin cancer, and not at all new mole, as many often believe. Its main difference is that they are not like all other moles or dark spots on your body.

If such a neoplasm appears on the skin, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will conduct an examination, perform a biopsy if necessary, and check for cancer cells.

Let us remind you that we previously reported that... Here are some tips to help parents calm their children.

In addition, it was reported. Experts gave advice on how to deal with an unpleasant disease.

A cancerous tumor is both native and foreign to the body; this is its insidiousness. Its own, since it consists of cells that are ordinary at first glance, which initially do not cause harm, but only constantly multiply. Alien, because having reached a certain size, it begins to show aggression towards surrounding tissues and organs: it grows through them, scatters daughter foci of cancer - metastases - throughout the body, secretes biologically active substances that can rearrange metabolic processes in favor of the tumor and to the detriment of the body .

The tumor grows in size so quickly that the blood vessels do not have time to grow after it. Then the nutrition of the cancer cells in the center of the lesion is disrupted, and they begin to die and collapse, releasing toxins that poison the body - causing intoxication.

Most of early symptoms cancer is associated precisely with these changes, which appear only when the tumor has reached a decent size. Therefore, the question arises: is it really possible to detect cancer at an early stage or is this a utopia? On the pages of popular magazines you can often find articles about 4 warning signs - signs of possible cancer. Should we take them seriously?

Cancer “quartet”: a nightmare for a hypochondriac

Most often, the first signs of cancer are the following:

• weight loss without apparent reason;
• fatigue, weakness, loss of strength;
• pale skin, hair loss, brittle nails;
• slight fluctuations in body temperature.

All these signs are indeed characteristic of malignant tumors, but also of many other diseases and conditions, which, in some cases, do not cause harm not only to life, but also to health.

For example, the first symptom is fast weight loss, as well as the second - weakness, fatigue and decreased performance - many of us experience during time pressure at work, when, in an effort to survive until vacation, we use liters of coffee and other stimulating techniques. The same thing often occurs in spring or autumn, when wellness sharply lacking sunlight and warmth, especially in the northern cities of our country. Hypovitaminosis and stress add to the mix bad mood and take away kilograms.

It is quite difficult to distinguish cancer cachexia - this is the name given to weight loss due to malignant neoplasms - from other types of weight loss, but it has the following signs:

• loss of body weight by 5% of the initial one in 6 months (for a person weighing 80 kg this is about 4 kg in six months);
• 2% weight loss if initial BMI was less than or equal to 20.

A characteristic sign of cancer cachexia is destruction muscle tissue, which can occur even if the fat layer is preserved. This inevitably leads to muscle weakness, changing the contours of the body in those places where adipose tissue usually not very pronounced. For example, your shoulders and arms lose weight significantly. In addition, cancer cachexia is usually accompanied by decreased appetite up to anorexia.

The third group of signs from the alarming “quartet” - pale skin, hair loss and brittle nails, combined with weakness and lethargy are classic symptoms anemia - a decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood. This condition is indeed characteristic of the advanced stage of cancer, when, as a result of intoxication, metastases in Bone marrow or constant bleeding from the tumor, the composition of the blood changes. However, during this period, as a rule, there is already more obvious signs oncology. Anemia itself is often found, for example, in healthy young women with heavy menstruation, May be congenital feature or the result of other chronic diseases.

The last sign is that the change in body temperature is the most variable. Among oncological diseases temperature reaction most often accompanied by blood diseases: leukemia and lymphoma. However, healthy person temperature fluctuates throughout the day, depending on physical activity, states nervous system and the amount of hormones in the blood. An increase in body temperature to 37.5 oC occurs, for example, during strong excitement. Small temperature fluctuations are typical for early dates pregnancy, increased function thyroid gland and etc.

Thus, the quartet of symptoms described above are not specific to cancer and do not necessarily mean that you have cancer. But if these symptoms bother you for a long time, and your health does not improve within several weeks, this is a reason to consult a doctor for additional diagnostics.

In fact, malignant tumors that can be detected at a very early stage, especially without help special methods research, not much. As a rule, these are types of cancer that are located on the surface of the body and are visible to the eye of the person or doctor. These tumors can be noticed even before they cause symptoms.

Types of cancer visible to the eye

Types of malignant tumors that are noticeable to the eye are called visual in medicine. It is believed that these are the very tumors that need to be detected at a very early stage. And this is quite possible. Visually or by touch, you can identify atypical changes in the skin and mucous membranes when the tumor is just beginning to develop. It is at this stage that her treatment is most effective.

Skin cancer, including melanoma- ranks first in our country in the structure of the incidence of malignant tumors in the population, regardless of gender. At the same time, melanoma is considered one of the most “evil” tumors, because it metastasizes to other organs of the body very early. Among other skin cancers, there are relatively benign ones that are well treated and rarely recur (appear again).

Early signs of skin cancer may include:

• the appearance of an unusual spot on the surface of the body, which gradually increases in size, protrudes above the skin level or seems dense to the touch;
• the appearance of a long-term non-healing ulcer;
• nodules or bumps on the skin that have an atypical color (lighter, darker than the skin, shiny surface, etc.).

These formations, as a rule, do not bother. Sometimes itching and tingling may occur. Read more about the early signs of melanoma. If any changes appear on the skin that are suspicious for cancer, consult a dermatologist. In addition, it is advisable to visit an ophthalmologist once a year, since melanoma in rare cases can be located on the retina. This type of tumor can only be seen by a doctor.

To exclude even earlier stages of breast cancer, there is a screening examination - mammography. This is an X-ray examination of the mammary glands using a special device, which is recommended for all women over 40-45 years old once every 2 years. For these categories of citizens, mammography is performed free of charge, as part of compulsory medical insurance, upon referral from a gynecologist, therapist, surgeon or mammologist. However, in practice it is difficult to get a free mammogram, so you have to use the services of private clinics.

Cancer of the tongue, lips, throat, mouth- rare types of tumors that are most common in older people with long experience smoking, especially those who frequently drink alcohol. The early stages of these neoplasms can be suspected by characteristic signs:

• the appearance of white or red spots on the mucous membrane of the mouth, cheeks, lips, tongue, which may have a smooth or bumpy surface;
• long-term non-healing mouth ulcers;
• causeless hoarseness or other change in voice timbre, hoarseness.

During gynecological examination The doctor can also detect cancer of the vagina, vulva, uterine body and ovaries. The initial stages of these cancers are asymptomatic. Over time, signs may appear such as an enlarged abdomen, swelling of the legs, pain in the pelvic area or during bowel movements, bleeding from the genital tract, delayed menstruation, etc.

Genital cancer in men In particular, prostate cancer ranks 6th in overall cancer incidence in Russia. Prostate cancer develops extremely slowly, causes symptoms late and therefore reveals itself already at late stages, although during a rectal examination by a doctor, initial changes in prostate gland. For this, it is advisable for men over 40-45 years old to visit a urologist at least once every 2 years.

In addition to the examination, men were previously recommended to have their blood tested annually for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a marker of prostate cancer. However, now the need for such a study within the framework of screening programs is questioned, since the analysis has low specificity and can give positive result for many other diseases and conditions.

Rectal cancer- 7th in terms of incidence of malignant neoplasms in our country. Men are more often affected. In the early stages, rectal cancer is asymptomatic, but it can be detected by a doctor during a rectal examination. Therefore, due to the age-related pattern of development of rectal cancer, men over 50 years old are recommended to undergo a digital examination once a year. rectal examination. It is usually combined with an examination by a urologist. Women are examined rectally by a gynecologist. In addition, both men and women can visit a proctologist for research.

There is another way to screen for colorectal cancer, as well as cancer colon(occurs 1.6% more often than rectal, but is not detected during finger examination) - stool analysis occult blood. This is a simple test for which you first need to collect a small amount of stool in a special container and take it to the laboratory. Once a year, stool analysis is performed for healthy people free of charge, according to compulsory medical insurance. However, the technology used to conduct the research, and therefore its results, may differ.

Thus, the cheapest and most common is research using guaiac and benzidine tests. Before the study, it is necessary to exclude from the diet meat products, iron supplements, apples, peppers, green onions, beans, spinach and other foods containing iron compounds. Otherwise, the analysis may give a false positive result.

Testing stool for occult blood using the immunochemical method is twice as expensive. This test only reacts to human hemoglobin, so is less likely to fail, but is usually only available as a paid service.

If the stool occult blood test is positive, there is a need for additional diagnostics, since the cause can be not only cancer, but also many other diseases. Therefore, you should be given a free - more complex examination of the intestines using an endoscope, which is inserted through anus and is carried up the intestinal tube. Using an endoscope, a doctor can visually assess the condition of the intestinal mucosa, find a suspicious cell site and take a sample from it - a biopsy. Colonoscopy allows you to accurately determine the source of bleeding.

Cancer to look for: first signs

Unfortunately, many types of cancer turn out to be reliably hidden in the body for the time being, and it is not possible to detect them by eye or by specific symptoms. But there are instrumental and laboratory methods diagnostics that help identify a tumor.

Cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs ranks third in frequency among others malignant neoplasms in our country and in most cases is associated with active or passive smoking. In addition, people who frequently come into contact with carcinogenic substances, for example, with phenol vapors or asbestos dust.

It is believed that fluorography or x-ray examination of the lungs, which are carried out annually as part of the early detection of tuberculosis, cannot be considered as screening for lung cancer. This is due to the fact that the resolution x-ray, and even more so fluorography, is not sufficient to detect the initial stages of cancer.

However, if you undergo a routine fluorographic examination or X-ray of the lungs once every 1-2 years, you can be sure that the study will detect lung cancer, even if not at an early stage, but even before symptoms appear and the tumor becomes inoperable. It is especially important for people at risk to undergo these studies.

Signs of respiratory cancer may include:

• dry cough;
• chest pain;
• the appearance of blood in the sputum;
• dyspnea.

Unfortunately, these symptoms appear only when the tumor has reached a decent size. Read more about diagnosing and preventing lung cancer.

Stomach cancer- the fourth most common tumor in Russia. This tumor is also difficult to detect, since it most often develops against the background of an already existing long years diseases of the stomach, for example, chronic gastritis or peptic ulcers, the symptoms of which a person gets used to and cannot always notice a change in their character. Meanwhile, signs of stomach cancer may include:

• decreased appetite;
• repeated nausea, vomiting;
• aching, dull abdominal pain without a clear connection with food intake;
• increased heartburn, belching;
• feeling of heaviness in the stomach;
• weight loss;
• black stools or “coffee ground” vomiting due to bleeding from a tumor.

Sometimes stomach cancer “grows” for a long time without symptoms, without causing pain or indigestion. Surely, the presence of a tumor in the stomach can be confirmed or excluded only with the help of gastroscopy (FGS) with a biopsy. However, this study is not pleasant, it is expensive and is not recommended in our country for cancer screening, that is, for examining healthy people. But people who are at risk for stomach cancer need to undergo FGS once a year.

Blood cancer- a malignant tumor that affects children just like adults. Sometimes the disease is found after a random blood test done for some other disease or as part of a routine examination. That is why it is advisable to donate blood from a finger and biochemical analysis blood from a vein at least once a year. In addition to objective criteria (analysis data), symptoms of blood cancer may include:

• causeless prolonged increase in body temperature;
• sweating, especially at night;
• severe weakness;
• pale skin, easy education bruises even from minor ones mechanical impact;
• bleeding gums, nose;
• pain in bones and joints.

If these symptoms appear, it is advisable to consult a therapist or pediatrician (for children). If the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will refer you to a hematologist - a specialist who diagnoses and treats blood diseases, including cancer.

Brain cancer- a rare tumor that can have the most various symptoms, depending on location malignant tissue. The most common symptoms are:

• headaches that are poorly relieved by conventional analgesics may intensify during physical activity;
• impaired coordination of movement, dizziness, tinnitus;
• episodes of loss of consciousness;
• double vision or sharp deterioration vision, loss of visual fields;
• nausea and vomiting that do not bring relief and are not associated with dyspepsia;
• numbness or unusual sensations(goosebumps, feeling of passing electric current, tingling) in the arms or legs.

When similar symptoms you need to see a neurologist. In most cases, these signs will have more benign causes. Do not give in to despondency in advance, since the likelihood of cancer is extremely small. To exclude malignant tumor You will need to undergo a magnetic tomography (MRI) scan of the brain.

Cancerophobia - the other side of the coin

In Russia, the structure of mortality malignant diseases occupy second place and account for about 15% of all deaths (most people die from cardiovascular diseases - more than 54%). At the same time, modern medical technology allow you to successfully treat the early stages of cancer. Therefore, detection of tumors initial stage their development - the most important task not only in our country, but throughout the world. However, the desire to recognize cancer by some special features at a very early stage, sometimes causes more harm than good.

Thus, overly impressionable people often find themselves trapped in their own suspiciousness. They begin to delve into themselves, looking for barely noticeable symptoms, and lose sleep and peace. Any, even slight deviation from the norm in tests or well-being, is perceived by them as evidence of the presence of a tumor. And if the doctor convinces you otherwise, then he loses his authority, and the person is left alone with his suspicions.

In addition, the introduction of ultra-precise diagnostics leads to the fact that doctors discover tumors that, perhaps, would never cause harm to human health. Some methods early diagnosis give a lot false positive results and find a problem where there is none. As a result, a healthy person who decided “to get checked just in case” is subjected to an unnecessary, traumatic examination, and sometimes even treatment.

To prevent this from happening, you should not succumb to cancerophobia and look for cancer symptoms. You need to know which signs really require attention, and which ones you can just close your eyes and sleep peacefully. After all, the body is a complex system with huge reserves. Our body destroys most diseases, including cancer, on its own, without outside help. And it is unknown what our attempts to intervene will lead to where the mechanisms of work have been fine-tuned by evolution to perfection.