What is the second most common cause of death for Americans? One would be surprised that it is cancer. This deadly disease takes millions of lives daily, but still to this day, we do not have a cure for it. When cancer is mentioned, people usually do not want to talk about it, however, cancer is something that everyone needs to be informed about. Once someone is well informed on what cancer is, knows what the signs and symptoms of it are, and is aware of how to prevent it, the number of people that get cancer will decrease.
Before one can spot signs and symptoms, and how to prevent it, he or she will have to understand what cancer is. According to Medical News Today, cancer is more than one disease that is characterized by the out of control
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The symptoms that go along with cancer can differ in more ways than one. They can differ on what type of cancer one has, the stage they are in, the size, and the location. If someone is in the earlier stages of cancer and they be asymptomatic, meaning they show no signs or symptoms of the illness. However, as cancer gets stronger, the symptoms often show themselves more. As stated on Cancer Center 's website, the general symptoms of cancer are fatigue, weight loss or gain that cannot be explained, fever, pain, a change in appetite, nausea and or vomiting, and skin changes. These symptoms are very similar to symptoms that are non-cancerous related. Therefore, if one has these signs and symptoms or any other sort of change in their health, it is strongly advised that they see a doctor as soon as they are able to. The doctor will evaluate the symptoms the person is experiencing and tests will be performed. Some of the diagnostic tests that are performed are a physical examination, laboratory tests, biopsy, imaging tests, nuclear medicine scans, endoscopy, and genetic tests. These tests confirm that cancer is present in the body, the type of cancer it is, the location, extent, and stage. Being able to know the exact type of cancer a person has, helps the doctor decide on a treatment plan for the