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Cancer affects people from all walks of life, and health care experts anticipate a notable spike in cancer cases over the next decade. According to the World Health Organization's "Global status report on cancer 2026," new cancer diagnoses are projected to reach 35 million by 2050, which would mark an increase of 15.5 million new cases compared to 2024.
While the WHO estimates represent a significant increase in cancer cases over the next quarter century, the public is not helpless against the disease. Education, including increased awareness of early warning signs of cancer, can increase the chances a person will survive a diagnosis.
In fact, the Cancer Research InstituteTM notes the earlier a cancer is caught, the better a patient's outcome is likely to be.
Early detection can be lifesaving, and these are some potential early warning signs that should be taken seriously.
• Unexplained weight loss: Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that a loss of 10 pounds or more may be nothing to worry about. However, unexplained weight loss sometimes is the first sign of cancer.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute advises that weight loss when you aren't trying to lose weight increases the risk of a cancer diagnosis within the coming year.
Such weight loss has been linked to a significantly increased risk for cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract, hematological cancers, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.
• Extreme fatigue: Johns Hopkins notes that cancer uses nutrients in the body to grow and advance.
When that occurs, the nutrients cannot help to replenish the body, and the result is feelings of extreme fatigue. This fatigue will be different from the tiredness a person feels at the end of a long workday or a day marked by extra physical activity.
• Fever: Fever is most often associated with cold and flu, so like the aforementioned potential warning signs, a fever is not necessarily an indicator of cancer.
But Cancer Research UK notes that some cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and kidney cancer, can cause fevers. Fevers associated with lymphoma may cause night sweats that come and go with no clear cause. Fevers that are linked to cancer typically occur at night.
• Pain: John Hopkins notes that persistent pain may hint at an underlying disease like cancer.
This pain might occur when a cancerous mass or tumor pushes on areas of the body or the cancer releases a chemical that causes discomfort. The Mayo Clinic notes bone pain, nerve pain, and pain in the soft tissues are common types of cancer-related pain.
• Changes in the skin: Skin is the largest organ in the body, so it's no surprise cancer can cause changes in the skin.
Johns Hopkins notes changes in moles may be a cause for concern.
A mole that is asymmetrical or has jagged edges; a mole with irregular borders; a mole that changes colors or darkens; or a mole that is large or growing should be brought to the attention of a health care professional.
Early detection of cancer can greatly improve a patient's outcome. Keeping these potential early warning signs in mind and taking them seriously should they appear is a great first step toward combatting the disease.