“The Seven Warning Signs of Cancer”

Prairie Doc Perspective Week of January 12th
“The Seven Warning Signs of Cancer”
By Andrew Ellsworth, MD


Recently I was working with my son’s scout troop to help them achieve the personal fitness merit badge. This merit badge has many requirements including discussions about healthy habits, diet, and exercise. The scouts keep track of their exercise over a 12 week period and log everything they eat over a few days as well. One of the discussions covers the seven warning signs of cancer.  


This is a simple list of concerning symptoms to watch out for and reasons to go see a doctor. Indeed, with each of these I am reminded of patients that caught their cancer diagnoses early enough to get the treatments they needed. While having any of these symptoms certainly does not mean someone has cancer, it would be wise to seek medical attention.  


One warning sign is a change in bowel or bladder habits.  These could be signs of colon or bladder cancer.  


A second sign is abnormal bleeding. Blood in the stool and blood in the urine are symptoms to get checked out soon.  Abnormal uterine bleeding, which may include heavy or irregular periods, and bleeding after menopause, deserve more attention as well. 


If you experience a sore that does not heal on the skin or in the mouth, or see changes to moles or other skin lesions, then these may be a third sign of cancer that warrant an examination and possibly a biopsy to evaluate for skin cancer.  


Abnormal lumps or bumps is a fourth sign. If you experience a breast lump or thickening or change in breast tissue, please get this checked out as it could be a sign of breast cancer. A lump in the testicle could be a sign of testicular cancer. Persistent swollen lymph nodes warrant further attention. 


Unintentional weight loss is a fifth reason to see your doctor. While efforts at a healthy diet and exercise are good reasons to lose weight, bad reasons can include thyroid problems, depression, diabetes, and cancer. 


Trouble swallowing or ongoing indigestion or heartburn is a sixth sign that could be a sign of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, or stomach.  


Finally, a seventh set of symptoms to watch for include a chronic cough or hoarseness that persists for a month or more. These could be a sign of throat or lung cancer, and warrant further evaluation. 


This list could be longer and more detailed, and having any of these symptoms can often be caused by benign, common reasons that are nothing to worry about. However, it is important to see your trusted physician or other medical provider if you experience any of the above symptoms. Please, do not delay and wait for a symptom to pass on its own. Your body is giving you a chance to get evaluated and help yourself. Pay attention!


Andrew Ellsworth, MD. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices Family Medicine at Avera Medical Group in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Threads. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm streaming on Facebook and SDPB), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB), providing health information based on science, built on trust.