Mrs. H, 52 years old, accidentally discovered a mass about the size of a chicken egg in the lower right abdomen. When she touched it, it felt firm, and after looking it up online, she assumed it was just a lipoma. However, her husband advised her not to rely on internet information and to get it checked, especially since she had recently experienced loss of appetite and noticeable weight loss.
At the hospital, after examination, the doctor noted that the mass had unusual characteristics. Typically, benign tumors are soft, smooth, well-defined, and movable. In contrast, Mrs. H’s mass was hard, irregular in surface, poorly defined, and difficult to move—features commonly associated with malignant tumors.
Further tests confirmed that Mrs. H had colon cancer, with a malignant tumor located in the ileocecal region.
Doctors warn that when cancer develops, the body often sends warning signals. Ignoring unusual symptoms can allow the disease to progress to more severe stages.
Many people believe cancer always presents obvious symptoms, but in reality, typical signs often appear only in the middle or late stages. In the early stages, patients may not have any noticeable symptoms.
If your body shows the following five symptoms, it could be a sign of a malignant tumor. For early detection, it is best to have regular health check-ups of these five key areas each year.
1. Abnormal bowel movements – Warning sign of colon cancer
Many people think cancer must always cause pain, but that is not necessarily true. In colon cancer, the most important sign is often a change in bowel habits.
Symptoms such as changes in stool shape, hard stools, bleeding, prolonged diarrhea, or constipation may be warning signs. If you experience these, the best approach is to undergo a colonoscopy.
2. Persistent cough – Sign of lung cancer
A continuous cough that does not improve with medication, especially in smokers, should be evaluated with a lung CT scan.
Early-stage lung cancer often does not cause coughing up blood or obvious shortness of breath but may present as a persistent dry cough. Unfortunately, this symptom is easily mistaken for a sore throat or bronchitis, leading many people to delay medical evaluation and miss early detection.
If you have a long history of smoking, you should proactively get a chest CT scan for early screening.
3. Persistent indigestion – Warning sign of stomach cancer
If you frequently experience bloating, acid reflux, belching, or hiccups after eating, you should not ignore it. In many cases, early-stage stomach cancer presents only with indigestion.
The most effective way to confirm is through a gastroscopy to detect any hidden lesions.
4. Painless lump in the breast – Sign of breast cancer
Breast cancer does not necessarily cause pain. In fact, a painless lump is the most common symptom.
In contrast, benign breast hyperplasia often causes swelling and pain during menstruation. If you detect a hard, irregular lump, you should seek medical evaluation immediately with ultrasound or mammography to rule out cancer.
5. Unexplained fatigue – Warning sign of liver cancer
Some cancers have very vague symptoms, such as liver cancer. Many patients only experience prolonged fatigue without a clear cause. Poor diet and sleep can also cause fatigue, making it easy to overlook this important sign.
People with a history of long-term alcohol use or hepatitis B or C should be especially cautious. If you feel unusually fatigued, you should get checked promptly. The best way to detect liver cancer early is through liver ultrasound combined with an alpha-fetoprotein test.