In September 2017, Cancer Coalition of the Philippines (CCP) reported that 7 adults die every hour while 8 children die of cancer daily in the Philippines.
If those numbers already sound alarming, among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in UAE, as many as 1,000 are being diagnosed with varying stages and types of cancer, an oncologist told The Filipino Times.
The high number gives weight to the widely accepted notion among experts that working away from home and loved ones – with the emotional and psychological stress it entails – plays a role in acquiring the dreaded disease.
Here are 8 things we think are simple, but silent signs and symptoms of cancer.
1. Indigestion
Always feeling full? This simple feeling could be dangerous if it’s a recurring event. The feeling of indigestion is a symptom of both stomach and pancreatic cancer. Many patients believe that the simple feeling of fullness is a simple problem with bowel or a simple constipation that can be relieved by a dose of medicine.
Stomach cancers are also very dangerous because their symptoms may seem simple.The disease may reach advanced stages before a diagnosis is made.
2. Difficulty swallowing your food
If you’re having a hard time swallowing your food, do not dismiss this by thinking that you just have no appetite to eat. This condition could be a symptom of esophageal cancer. Although rare, esophageal cancer is very dangerous since it is usually detected when it has already reached an advanced stage. Similar to stomach cancer, symptoms of this type of cancer is very subtle.
3. Night sweats
Those sweats at night may not be simply caused by the hot weather this summer. Sweating at night is one of the causes of several types of cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, bone and liver cancer. Researchers have yet to point out the connection between night sweating and cancer, but one angle they are looking at is an increase in the immune response.
4. Anal itching
Irritation, infection, or an unhygienic habit could be some of the causes of anal itching. Another cause could be cancer. One of the symptoms of colorectal cancer is anal itching, most especially when it is accompanied by rectal bleeding, pain, or change in bowel movements.
5. Persistent Cough
Never call a cough simple especially when it has been going on for a month. One of the symptoms of lung cancer is persistent cough. Experts advise that when a cough has been going on for a long period of time, without signs of getting better, a person should see a doctor as soon as possible since lung cancer, when detected early, has a high rate of remission.
6.Stops while urinating
Men who are having a hard time urinating or experiencing stops while urinating may be suffering from prostate cancer, according to experts. Experts claim that ninety-eight percent (98%) of men with prostate cancer are still alive after 10 years while 96% continue to live for at least 15 years.
Despite this, late detection of prostate cancer is very deadly. Only 29% of men survive within 5 years when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
7. Sudden weight change
A sudden weight change could be attributed to several things, one of them is cancer. A sudden weight loss of 10 pounds or more could be a sign of pancreatic, stomach, esophageal, or lung cancer. An unexpected weight gain for women could be dangerous, too, as it is a sign of ovarian cancer.
8.Fatigue
After a long day at work, it seems normal to feel fatigue. Most people claim that a simple long sleep can remove fatigue and get you ready for the next day – not with cancer. A ‘simple’ fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of various types of cancer. What makes fatigue a deadly symptom is that doctors and nurses do not usually focus on it.
If you are suffering from one of these for a period of time, make an appointment with a doctor as soon as you can.
