Prevention is always the best medicine, so to honor National Cancer Awareness Day, we want to discuss cancer prevention and early detection. While there are many types of cancer, one of the most essential tips is to recognize early warning signs and see your healthcare practitioner immediately if you notice these symptoms or if they grow worse. These are a few warning signs you should not ignore:
- Changes in bathroom habits – This goes for both bowel and bladder habits. Specific things to watch out for include blood in your stool (whether black or red), blood in urine, or frequent urination with no other known cause.
- Breast changes – Pay attention to lumps, discoloration, dimpling, or changes around the nipple. Breast Cancer Awareness month may not be until October (read our post here), but you should be checking yourself more than once a year because the sooner you catch this type of cancer, the better.
- Chronic cough – Of course, your first concern with a chronic dry cough may be COVID-19, but if you test negative for the coronavirus and have a cough for more than two weeks, it could be an early indicator of lung cancer.
- Skin changes – Remember to look for asymmetrical marks, those with uneven borders, varied colors, a diameter larger than a pencil eraser, or an evolving mole. Any of these can be indicators of skin cancer.
Let’s Get Through 2021 Together
We made it through 2020. We can do it again in 2021 with a united front. Remember to keep an eye out for indicators of cancer, especially if a particular type of cancer runs in your family and you could be more prone to it. A1 American wishes you and your family a safe and cancer-free 2021.
