The information on warning signs of cancer given here is intended for general use only. You must always consult your Doctor for any medical problem.
Cancer Warning Signs or Symptoms
Millions of people each year are diagnosed with cancer. Follwoing are the warning signs of cancer.
Changes in bladder or bowel habits that lasts more than 2 weeks.
Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere.
Unusual bleeding or discharge in cough, urine, vomiting, or stool.
Change in size or appearance of mole or wart.
Nagging cough or hoarseness lasting more than a few weeks.
If you experience any of these signs, you should consult your Doctor.
Heavy wrinkling & cancer risk How many wrinkles you have may be an indication of your lung cancer risk, according to study by British researchers at The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (2006).
The study have concluded that middle-aged smokers with heavily lined faces have a 5 times higher risk of lung disease than their unwrinkled peers. After age and the number of years someone had smoked were taken into account, heavy wrinkling was the next factor that seems to point to increased risk, they said.
Severe wrinkling also shows a lack of anti-ageing antioxidants, like vitamin C, which also help protect against disease. Medical experts are now recommending to look out for premature heavy wrinkling in addition to other symptoms of lung disease such as persistent smokers cough and breathlessness.
Cancer Prevention
To prevent cancer, eat healthy foods. About 30% of cancers are caused due to improper nutrition; eating not healthy foods or eating unhealthy foods. The American Cancer Society has the following recommendations:
Eat five or more servings of vegetables (green and dark yellow, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, etc.) and fruits each day. Eat plenty of beans and whole-grains. Note that you are 2 to 3 times more susceptible to stomach cancer if you do not eat fruits and vegetables. There are many high-fat items in the "Salad Bars". Load your plate with fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, and low-fat dressing. Avoid creamy dressings.
Limit on fats. Eat low fat foods. Avoid fast foods rich in fats. High-fat foods may increase the risk of prostate, colon, rectum and uterus cancers.
Eat spicy foods specially containing chillies. Chillies contain capsaicin which may offer protection against cancer. Capsaicin holds the key to the next generation of anti-cancer drugs, reported the online Jan 2007 edition of Daily Mail.
Limit on alcohol, if you drink.
Stop smoking to avoid cancer. Smoking increases the risk of mouth, esophagus, lung, and larynx cancers.
In India 800,000 people die due to tobacco consumption every year, among whom 600,000 should be due to bidis alone." Bidi smoke contained high levels of toxins like carbon monoxide, phenol, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. Bidi workers with TB are 3 times more prone to die.
Maintain a healthy weight Remain physically active. Exercise for 30 minutes daily. This will keep your weight normal. Obesity is a risk factor for prostate, colon, rectum, uterus, ovaries, and breast cancers.
Avoide excessive sun exposure Excessive exposure to sun, industrial chemicals, and X-rays can cause skin cancer. When you go out in sun, you should cover all parts of the body. The parts such as face, hands, forearms, and ears remain uncovered can be at risk of skin cancer.
Avoide excessive use of cosmetics. Health experts say that excessive usage of cosmetics by children enhances their risk to various types of cancer and other problems later in life. Most of cosmetic products use potentially dangerous chemicals like parabens and phthalates. The parabens chemical have been recently found in breast cancer tissues. This chemical can affect the hormone oestrogen. The phthalates are linked to lower sperm counts in men, premature breast development and allergies.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has recommended the following 9 steps that can help lower the risk of getting cancer (published July 2004 issue of the Journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention).
Do not smoke.
Keep your weight in check. Adult weight gain should not be more than 11 pounds from age 18.
Exercise daily and get a vigorous workout once a week.
Eat five servings of vegetables and fruits daily.
Eat at Least 14 ounces of whole grains, cereals, and other complex carbohydrates daily.
Limit alcohol consumption to one drink a day (for women).
Limit added salt intake to 2,400 milligrams of salt in a day. Stick to low sodium diet.
The New USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released in January. These USDA guidelines are the first to recognize the role of a healthy diet in reducing the risk of some cancers. You should follow the simple advice of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) to meet the new guidelines.
The new guidelines set seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for the average adult. So make a habit to include vegetables and fruits in every meal and snack.
Eat three or more servings of whole grains each day. Replace refined grains with whole-grain products such as whole-grain cereals, whole-grain breads for sandwiches, brown rice or whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain crackers.
Follow AICR's New American Plate, that is fill 2/3 or more of your plate with a variety of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. Leave only the remaining 1/3 of the plate or less for animal protein.
By keeping this 2/3-to-1/3 proportion on your plate, you can help lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.
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