World Cancer Day, Thursday 4 February, is a day dedicated to getting the world thinking about and taking action against cancer, in all its many horrible forms and guises.
Patient surveys have shown that there are dangers ignoring
some of the hidden signs of cancer out of fear that they’re
wasting their doctor’s time.
Cancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of
cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including
breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate
cancer, and lymphoma. Symptoms vary depending on the
type.
Young women are at an unnecessary risk of developing
cervical cancer, which is almost symptomless until it is
reaches an advanced stage, because of negative attitudes
towards smear tests, experts have warned on World Cancer
Day.
Over one in ten women do not book smear tests at all –
meaning that abnormalities in the cervix go unnoticed, a new
survey has shown.
This puts women in their 20s and 30s at risk of developing
cancer, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
said of the results of its survey of 2,100 women as it urged
women to "overcome embarrassment."
Women are invited to have a cervical screening test every
three years between the ages of 25 to 49-years-old, reducing
to five years between the ages of 50 to 64. After this age only
women with abnormalities or no previous screenings are asked
to take a smear test.According to www.independent.co.uk , research has found that
more than 50 per cent of British people had experienced at
least one “red flag” symptom.
Some people said they failed to see a doctor because they
were worried that their GP would view it as trivial , while
others said they feared a cancer diagnosis or believed in
maintaining a “stiff upper lip”.
Others reported feeling a lack of confidence in the health
system or assumed their symptoms were down to ageing.
And many believed their symptoms would simply go away of
their own accord, according to the survey of more than 1,700
people over the age of 50.
Nevertheless, Some of the potential early warning signs of
cancer include:
A persistent cough or hoarseness, a lump, diarrhoea or
constipation
Unexplained weight loss or a sore that does not heal
Blood in vomit, urine or faeces, bleeding between periods
A feeling of not having fully emptied your bowels after
going to the toilet are other signs
Moles with an irregular shape or jagged edges should be
checked by a GP.