Top 15 'super small' signs of cancer that many people ignore

There are extremely small and easily overlooked signs that are early signs of cancer.

Early warning signs of cancer

First, don't panic if you notice these signs. Stay calm and make an appointment with a specialist. Early testing will help you figure out what's making you feel "sick" and give you valuable action options.

Depending on your symptoms, medical history, and physical exam results, your doctor may order specific tests or diagnostic procedures to look for cancer cell markers. If cancer is found, they can also determine whether it has spread (metastasized).

1. Pimples don't go away

Skin cancer is a common type of cancer with the main forms being squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and less commonly melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma sometimes has a pearly appearance or a waxy texture with a pale yellow color.

Many people notice that they have pimples on their cheeks or nose that do not 'come to a head' or go away. Typically, these cancers are slow-growing and have a good prognosis.

Therefore, any new skin growth that lasts for 6 to 8 weeks should be checked.

2. Feeling of foreign body

An uncomfortable lump in the throat often accompanies acid reflux, but sometimes that lumpy feeling can signal the presence of a tumor.

For example, tumors at the base of the tongue and tonsils caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) from oral sex. HPV can lie dormant in your body for years before causing symptoms, so many people don't know they're even at risk for head and neck cancer.

Feeling like hair stuck in throat, choking on bone, uncomfortable prickly feeling need to see a doctor soon.

3. Persistent itching can be a sign of cancer

Some cancers, such as lymphoma, can cause extreme itching. The itching can be severe and persistent and can have a significant impact on appearance and activities. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system (part of the immune system), including Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Any type of lymphoma can cause itching.

Itching is a nonspecific symptom that can send many people from dermatologists to internists. If dermatological treatment is not effective, try talking to your doctor about appropriate screening biopsies.

4. Earache

What happens when one ear keeps aching but there is no sign of infection? The cause may not be related to your ear but a sign of cancer such as oral cancer. The pain is transmitted to the ear from nerves in the head or neck (referred otalgia).

Early stage cancers in the back of the tongue or tonsils can be quite difficult to detect. And a person can have an earache without any other symptoms for weeks or months before oral cancer is discovered. This type of earache can also be a sign of advanced oral cancer, which means that the cancer cells have spread deep and are beginning to affect those nerves.

See a doctor if you have ear pain without other symptoms.

What happens when one ear constantly aches but shows no signs of infection? (Photo: Internet).

5. Abnormal vaginal bleeding

Vaginal bleeding or irregular periods can be related to hormonal imbalances in the body, but it can also be a sign of uterine fibroids or cervical polyps. However, sometimes, abnormal vaginal bleeding can also be a sign of endometrial cancer - a fairly common cancer with a high prognosis.

Therefore, if you have abnormal vaginal bleeding, especially after menopause or before menopause in people with menopausal disease with risk factors for endometrial cancer such as obesity, you need to be evaluated at a medical facility.

6. Drooping upper eyelid

Drooping upper eyelids are often interpreted as a sign of aging, trauma, or stroke. However, it can also be a sign of Pancoast-Tobias syndrome, a malignant tumor at the top of the lung. Although this is quite rare, accounting for <5% of all lung cancer cases.

Pancoast tumors begin at the top of the lung and spread to nearby tissues such as the ribs and vertebrae. Most Pancoast tumors are non-small cell lung cancers.

Unlike other types of lung cancer, a cough is not an early symptom of a Pancoast tumor. One of the first signs may be severe shoulder pain. Some people develop Horner's syndrome (a rare condition that occurs when the nerves that run from the brain to the eyes and face are damaged), which includes drooping eyelids, reduced pupil size, and decreased sweating on the affected side of the face.

7. Scaly patches or warts

A red, scaly patch of skin appears, although there is no need to worry about this immediately, but if it appears on the skin exposed to the sun and does not disappear after 8 weeks, this is not eczema but can be a sign of squamous cell carcinoma.

This type of skin cancer sometimes appears as a dome-shaped wart on the head, neck, and backs of the hands. Some people tend to develop ulcers on the tops of their feet after years of sun exposure.

Eczema can be easily confused with squamous cell carcinoma. (Photo: Internet).

8. Anemia

Anemia, which can make you tired, lightheaded, and dizzy, can sometimes be the first sign of colorectal cancer. Why? Colorectal cancer can cause a person to bleed from the digestive tract and have blood in the stool.

Rectal bleeding is often not easy to detect on your own because the amount of blood is usually very small. But over time, prolonged blood loss can lead to a decrease in red blood cell count and anemia.

9. Prolonged hoarseness

Some people experience temporary loss of voice during a severe cold. Persistent hoarseness is another problem and should be evaluated promptly.

Laryngeal cancer attacks the tissues in the larynx, causing a sore throat, earache, or a lump in the neck or throat. Laryngeal cancer can also spread to the thyroid gland, windpipe, or esophagus. See your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

1. Sore throat or cough that persists despite medication
2. Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing, feeling of a foreign object in the throat
3. Earache
4. Have a palpable mass in the neck or throat
5. Voice changes or hoarseness without a cold.

10. Bloating

Occasional bloating or flatulence is not serious, but in rare cases bloating accompanied by pelvic discomfort can be a sign of ovarian cancer.

This type of cancer tends to increase your risk if someone in your family has had the disease.

Bloating and pelvic discomfort can be a sign of ovarian cancer. (Photo: Internet).

11. An unusual lump in the neck

Lumps in the neck have many causes. Usually, lumps or swelling in the neck when the lymph nodes are swollen due to bacterial or viral infections, cancer or other rare causes.

Lumps in the neck muscles can be caused by injury or torticollis, a condition in which the neck muscles cause the head to tilt, turn, or rotate to one side. These lumps are usually found in the front of the neck.

Sometimes a lump in the neck is caused by the thyroid gland. The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, is responsible for controlling many body functions. A swelling or lump in the thyroid gland can be caused by thyroid disease or cancer.

All neck lumps in children and adults should be seen by a doctor immediately.

12. Breast swelling or dimpling

Any unusual changes in the breast, not just a lump, should be checked out early. Other symptoms to look out for include:

1. Breast pain
2. Lumps or thickening of the breast (including in the armpit)
3. Changes in breast size and shape
4. Skin changes in the nipple or breast including dimpling or puckering of the breast, scaly patches on the breast, redness and swelling of the breast
5. Inverted nipples
6. Nipple discharge.

Types of breast cancer include: ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), tubular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the world and in Vietnam, so early examination is needed for early intervention.

13. Bone pain

Bone pain can be the result of an injury, infection or osteoporosis, or bone pain can be a sign of cancer.

Unexplained bone pain, especially in the spine, pelvis, and ribs, may be a symptom of multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow and other organs, accounting for about 1% of all malignancies and 13% of hematological malignancies.

Additionally, bone or joint pain in people with symptoms such as fever, fatigue or weight loss can be a sign of leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

Bone or joint pain in people with symptoms such as fever, fatigue or weight loss can be a sign of leukemia. (Photo: Internet).

14. Pain after drinking alcohol

You may feel sick after drinking a lot of alcohol. However, in rare cases, unexplained pain after drinking alcohol can indicate Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that starts in the lymphocytes. Hodgkin lymphoma can start almost anywhere in the body. The most common sites are the lymph nodes in the chest, neck, or under the arms.

According to Health , a published case study describes a 31-year-old man who experienced moments of intense pain after drinking just two to three sips of alcohol. He had the same reaction for three months, with no pain after swallowing other liquids or foods. After a lymph node biopsy, the patient was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Often these patients may have swelling in some of the lymph nodes in the neck or chest. When drinking alcohol, these lumps seem to be more painful.

15. Frequent urination

Frequent urination may be related to urinary tract infections if accompanied by pain when urinating, overactive bladder, kidney examination (if urine contains blood) or type 2 diabetes. However, frequent urination can also be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer.

The incidence of kidney cancer in men is statistically twice as high as in women.

When to see a doctor?

Remember, not every symptom you experience may mean you have cancer. But recognizing these changes in your body early, including new symptoms like pain, can help your doctor make a more accurate diagnosis.

Also, don't skip your annual health check-ups because regular health screening and cancer screening are especially important, especially for people over 40. Early detection of cancer gives you a better chance of survival than when the cancer has metastasized and spread.