There are many common forms of cancers we’ve all heard of, but they can happen anywhere in the body and some are more difficult to spot than others. But which ones are they?
Cancers come in all shapes and sizes, which can make certain types difficult to spot. However, there are some symptoms to look out for that can help you push for a diagnosis.
If you spot any cancer symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor immediately. The problem is, most doctors aren’t specialists in all types of cancers. So, if yours can’t find anything, you should push for a second opinion from a specialist to avoid a delayed cancer diagnosis.
In this post, we’re going to briefly go over what cancer is and some general symptoms to look out for. Then, we’ll look at the most difficult cancers to spot and why they can be deadly.
What is Cancer?
For those of you that don’t know, cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body multiply uncontrollably and become ‘malignant’. These cancerous cells can encroach on surrounding tissue and organs causing damage to them.
The cancer continues to grow until the tumour is either removed or destroyed through various surgery or treatment. If the cancer is left to its own devices, pieces of the tumour can break off and travel to other parts of the body and grow there.
According to our current statistics, 1 in 2 people develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. Of these cancers, there are over 200 different types, each diagnosed and treated in its own specific way.
Each of these cancers have their owns symptoms as well, so it’s difficult to know which one you have. Fortunately, there are some common symptoms you can look out for that indicate you have some form of cancer, including:
- A lump that suddenly appears on your body
- Unexplained bleeding
- Changes to your bowel habits
In many cases these symptoms will be related to other conditions, but if you think you have cancer you should mention it to your doctor so you can be thoroughly checked.
Which Cancers Are the Most Difficult to Spot?
Now that we have an idea of what cancers are and the common symptoms you should look out for, it’s time to look at the cancers that are the most difficult to spot.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect because it’s internal, mostly painless, and isn’t connected to anything that would produce symptoms. The only time you’re likely to catch pancreatic cancer early is if it occurs near the bile duct, which leads to blockage and jaundice.
The good news is that new technologies are coming out, such as molecular blood tests, that could help doctors detect pancreatic cancer, and other internal cancers, earlier.
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is another cancer that’s hard to detect because patients aren’t tested until symptoms including lower back pain, unexplained weight gain, and blood in the urine start to show.
The chances of finding it earlier than this are slim because the kidneys are deep in the body, making them difficult to feel in a physical exam. Also, there are no recommended screenings for kidney cancer if you’re not at an increased risk.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Most of the time, lung cancer is diagnosed after it’s already spread. This is because patients don’t become symptomatic until the tumour has already grown to a size that causes symptoms such as a cough, pneumonia and shortness of breath.
Also, at an early stage, these cancers are not picked up by a chest x-ray. So, they will likely be diagnosed at a later stage when a doctor takes a biopsy of lung secretions.
Ovarian Cancer
Like the other cancers we’ve mentioned here, the earlier you’re diagnosed, the better. The problem with ovarian cancer is that only 20 percent of them are caught at an early stage.
This is because the size and flexibility of the abdominal cavity can make it difficult to spot tumours or tell if something has grown in the ovaries. There are also no symptoms from small, early stage ovarian cancer.
Many pre-existing conditions can make you more susceptible to developing cancers. For example, patients who have Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome have a higher risk of kidney cancer. Similarly, Ovarian Cancer Camp Lejeune is another type of cancer that you should look out for if you have lived close to that region.
Brain Cancer
Cancers in the spinal cord and brain only show symptoms in the later stages, making them difficult to recognise early on. One example would be a tumour in the motor cortex, which could cause weakness in the arm or leg.
However, these tumours can happen anywhere on the brain, and tumours in some areas would only cause vague symptoms that you wouldn’t necessarily visit the doctor over. For example, one of the most common symptoms is a headache, which seems too minor to be a sign of brain cancer.
Why Are These Cancers the Deadliest?
So, we know the cancers listed above are difficult to spot, but why are they also the deadliest?
The short answer is cancers grow in size over time. When they get large enough, pieces break off, travel to other parts of the body and cause tumours to grow there.
Because the cancers listed above are so difficult to diagnose, and are often only discovered in their later stages, the likelihood of them being life threatening increases. For example:
- About 7 percent of all cancer deaths are due to pancreatic cancer.
- Non-small cell lung cancer has very low survival rates when diagnosed in a late state.
- Despite only accounting for 3 percent of all cancers amongst women, ovarian cancer is the fifth deadliest cancer with an estimated 13,940 of the 21,750 women diagnosed with the condition this year expected to die from it.
- Brain cancer has no cure, and the only thing doctors can do is preserve neurological functioning for as long as possible, and manage the growth of the cancer
At this point, it might seem like having one of these cancers is a death sentence. But, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re diagnosed as early as possible.
What’s the Best Way to Catch These Cancers Early?
Now that we know how hard these cancers are to diagnose, and how deadly that makes them, it’s time to give you some advice on getting an early diagnosis.
1. If you notice anything unusual, go to your doctor
It’s important that, if anything new or different happens in your body, you don’t just chalk it up to getting older. Be on the lookout for any significant changes, and book an appointment with your doctor if you notice anything.
2. Know the symptoms
We mentioned a few common symptoms in the intro to this post, but it’s good to have an extensive look at cancer symptoms and make sure you know them in case they crop up.
3. Check for cancer
Many of the difficult to find cancers we mentioned earlier are unlikely to be detected by self-examination. However, to be on the safe side, and to avoid other more common cancers, make sure you check yourself regularly.
4. Don’t let your doctor get away with not checking
Depending on the type of doctor you have, they might try to get you in and out of the door so they can move on to the next patient. If you feel strongly enough that you have cancer, make it known and the doctor will have to comply with your wishes.
5. Check your pre-existing conditions
Many pre-existing conditions can make you more susceptible to developing cancers. For example, patients who have Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome have a higher risk of kidney cancer.
It’s always worth checking any conditions you have to see if they increase your chances of developing one of these cancers.
What Now?
In this post, we’ve managed to cover what cancer is, what the most difficult cancers to spot are and why they’re the deadliest. We also gave you some advice on how to try and catch them as early as possible.
All cancers can be deadly if they’re not caught early enough. Your best chance of catching them is to read up on the symptoms, go to your doctor if you notice them in yourself, and push for an early diagnosis.
Until we develop new technologies that can detect difficult to find cancers, your best weapon is personal vigilance.
