Cancer is so prevalent that almost every woman knows someone who’s encountered it: they’ve followed a friend’s fight on Facebook or listened to a colleague describe his or her parents’ battle. For some, the battle has been even closer to home — with our own parent or sibling facing the disease.

Despite how often we encounter cancer in our lives, we rarely take it seriously when we encounter the symptoms of cancer ourselves. A 2014 article published in the journal PLoS One found that fewer than 60 percent of a survey’s respondents believed that a symptom they’d experienced in the past three months might be caused by cancer and had contacted a physician to discuss the symptom.

There are two alarming concerns with that survey: first, that people are dismissing what may be early warning signs of cancer, possibly delaying treatment; and second, that people are possibly forgoing the screenings that could detect a cancer before it presents itself through symptoms.

Early detection is essential, because the faster cancer can be found, the faster it can be treated. Programs like the Tanner Cancer Care Promise: 3 Days from Diagnosis to Treatment Options are designed to expedite cancer care, understanding that delays in treatment give cancer time to grow and possibly spread.

It’s essential to receive your screenings as advised, and to understand signs of cancer in their earliest stages when treatment can be most effective — and to follow-up with a healthcare provider to discuss these symptoms.

• Appetite – Constantly feeling full or not having an appetite can be a sign of several kinds of cancer, including ovarian cancer.
• Back Pain – Cancers of the ovary and colon can present as persistent back pain.
• Bleeding – Blood in the urine can indicate bladder or kidney cancer, and abnormal vaginal bleeding — including bleeding between periods, heavier bleeding than usual or bleeding after intercourse — may be a sign of endometrial or cervical cancer. (Any vaginal bleeding in postmenopausal women should be discussed with a medical provider.) Breast cancer can cause bloody discharge from the nipple. Colon cancer can present through bloody stool, which may appear especially dark.
• Bowel Habits – Long-term diarrhea or constipation, as well as a change in the size of the stool, can indicate colon or rectal cancer.
• Nausea – Several types of cancer can cause persistent nausea and should be discussed with a medical provider.
• Pelvic Pain – Pain in the pelvis and abdomen — including gas, bloating, cramps and pain with intercourse — can indicate a number of cancers, including endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.
• Urinary Changes – Needing to go more frequently, less often or having pain when passing urine can be a sign of bladder cancer or ovarian cancer.
• Weight Loss – While most women wouldn’t necessarily consider this a cause for concern, weight loss that’s unintentional or unexplained can be a warning sign, especially if you haven’t changed your eating or exercise habits.

This list is by no means comprehensive, nor do these symptoms necessarily mean cancer is present. Your best defense against cancer is adhering to a recommended regimen of screenings that will enable your medical providers to detect cancer even before symptoms develop.

You can learn more about symptoms of cancer in the Tanner Health Library, and more about the cancer care services available in west Georgia and east Alabama at Tanner Cancer Care.

West Georgia Healthcare for Women is located in Carrollton, Georgia. For more information, visit TannerHealthcareForWomen.org or call 770-214-2121.