10 cancer warning signs women should not ignore

Sometimes women are their own worst enemy. They are so used to taking care of everyone else, that they sometimes fail to take care of themselves. When they don’t feel good, they often downplay it or brush it off to excuses like not getting enough sleep or just getting old.

Women need to be assertive about their own health. If symptoms persist and aren’t getting better after two weeks or so, it is worth making an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out. It’s worth the peace of mind.

The following are common cancer symptoms that may warrant a doctor’s visit. And remember, these symptoms don’t always mean cancer. They could signal some other type of benign problems.

Weight loss or gain
Loss of appetite or unintentional weight loss could be a sign of stomach or pancreatic cancer. And the same goes for putting on excess weight. If you have not changed your eating habits, but continue to gain weight over several months, this could be a signal of extra fluid in the abdomen, which is common with ovarian cancer.

Change in bowel habits
If you are feeling fatigued, your stools are darker or more narrow, or your bowel habits change to diarrhea or constipation, see your doctor, it could signal colorectal cancer.

Breast changes
A change in the texture of your skin, color, puckering or changes in your nipple could be a sign of breast cancer. An unexplained lump, and any milky or bloody discharge should also be evaluated.

Skin changes
A mole that changes in size, color or shape should be evaluated for skin cancer as well as any small, scaly patches on your skin.

Changes in lymph nodes
If you feel a hard, rubbery-like mass in your neck, groin or underarm, see your doctor. Colds can sometimes cause your lymph nodes to swell, but the lump should go away in a week or two after the infection resolved.

Bloating
In most cases, occasional bloating is likely to be benign. But if you have bloating that persists for a week or two, get it checked out. Bloating combined with other symptoms like getting full quickly, changing bowel or bladder habits and/or low back or pelvic pain, could be a sign of ovarian cancer.

Postmenopausal bleeding
Any type of postmenopausal bleeding should be investigated immediately. It could be something as benign as an endometrial polyp or something more serious like cervical cancer.

Rectal bleeding
Blood from the rectum could be caused by hemorrhoids. This usually appears as a small amount of staining on the tissue paper. If hemorrhoids are ruled out, a visit to your doctor and a colonoscopy may be in order.

Persistent cough
A persistent cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks and is not related to allergies or a cold, should be checked out by your doctor. Coughing up blood or vomiting blood should prompt an immediate evaluation.

Discharge
While a foul-smelling vaginal discharge could be caused by a urinary tract or vaginal infection, it could also be a symptom of cervical cancer. The discharge may also contain blood and occur between periods and after menopause.

Be aware of your body and stay on top of your regular exams and screening tests like Pap smears, mammograms and colonoscopies. Even the best screening tests can sometimes miss early cancer. Follow your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, see your doctor.