Cancer: Pain in this area of the body could indicate the deadly disease
CANCER is tragically becoming more and more common. There are many types of the disease, all with varying symptoms, so it’s important to know what to look out for. If you feel pain in this area of the body, it could be a sign of these four types of cancer.
Stomach cancer: Surgeon explains the symptoms
Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs.
According to the NHS, more than one in three people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
There are more than 200 different types of cancer, all with varying symptoms.
These four types of cancer, however, can have very similar symptoms, including pain in the abdominal area.
It's important to be aware of any unexplained changes to your body, such as the sudden appearance of a lump, blood in your urine, or a change to your usual bowel habits
Bowel cancer
The symptoms of bowel cancer can be subtle and don’t necessarily make you feel ill.
More than 90 per cent of sufferers, however, will experience abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating brought on by eating, as well as a persistent change in bowel habits, and blood in the stools.
Most people with these symptoms will not have bowel cancer, however the NHS advises seeing your GP if they persist for more than four weeks.
Stomach cancer
Stomach cancer is fairly uncommon, with around 7,000 people each year in the UK being diagnosed.
The initial symptoms are vague and easy to mistake for other less serious conditions.
Initial symptoms include persistent stomach pain, feeling bloated after meals, trapped wind and frequent burping, and persistent indigestion and heartburn.
Symptoms of advanced stomach cancer include blood in the stools, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Pancreatic cancer
In the early stages, a tumour in the pancreas doesn't usually cause any symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose.
The first noticeable symptoms of pancreatic cancer are often pain in the back or stomach, unexpected weight loss and jaundice.
Other possible symptoms include nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, fever and shivering, indigestion and blood clots.
Ovarian cancer
In women, the symptoms of ovarian cancer can often be confused with irritable bowel syndrome or pre-menstrual syndrome.
The most common symptoms are discomfort in the tummy or pelvis, feeling constantly bloated, a swollen tummy, feeling full quickly when eating or loss of appetite, and needing to wee more often than normal.
Other symptoms include persistent indigestion or nausea, pain during sex, changes in bowel habits, back pain, vaginal bleeding, feeling tired all the time and unintentional weight loss.
“It's important to be aware of any unexplained changes to your body, such as the sudden appearance of a lump, blood in your urine, or a change to your usual bowel habits,” said the NHS.
“These symptoms are often caused by other, non-cancerous illnesses, but it's important to see your GP so they can investigate.”