For Women…
Cancer symptoms that women should watch for include…
Breast lumps or changes. Any new lump in the breast should be seen by a physician — especially if the lump is painless. Don’t wait to see if it goes away in a month or two. Breast cancer may also cause thickening of the skin… swelling… and/or changes in breast size or shape.
Nipple changes. Report to your doctor any changes in the shape of your nipple… liquid discharge (especially if tinged pink from blood)… inversion of the nipple (in which the nipple projects into the breast mound)… and/or a scaly rash around the nipple.
Abdominal changes. Bloating and abdominal pain can result from a number of gynecologic, urologic or gastrointestinal issues. Oncologists become concerned when a woman has more than one symptom at a time — for example, ovarian cancer can lead to bloating, abdominal pain, increased urinary frequency and/or urgency, constipation and loss of appetite.
Postmenopausal bleeding. Any vaginal bleeding after menopause may signal cancer of the ovaries, uterus or cervix.
For Men…
Symptoms that may signal cancer in men include…
Testicular lumps. Tumors in the testicles are usually painless. The whole testicle also may swell or develop a feeling of heaviness or pulling.
Urinary changes. Prostate cancer or benign prostate enlargement can both cause difficulty making or maintaining a stream of urine. Men also may wake up three or more times in the night to visit the bathroom since a prostate tumor can press against the bladder.
Blood in semen or urine. Prostate cancer can cause minor leakage of blood into the urine (usually brownish, red or pink in color) or semen (a faint pink color or streaking).
Erectile dysfunction. The cause may be stress, a hormone deficiency, heart disease — or prostate cancer. See your doctor.
