When it comes to fighting cancer the earlier it is spotted the better the chance of a positive outcome. There are more than 200 signs and symptoms for cancer but some are more easily missed or ignored than others.
Three of these are ones which can appear in the face. Experts say these are some of the ones people are likely to “ignore”.
Yet with the difficulties often faced at getting a doctor’s appointment it is essential to know what to look out for and when to act if something appears different or amiss. Here are three which are often missed.
Lung cancer
According to health website Reynolds Cancer Support House there are several cancer symptoms people are “most likely to ignore”. It says: “Some patients with lung cancer report noticing puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face.
“The explanation for this is that small cell lung tumours commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.”
These changes are said to be a “common sign” of lung carcinoma. However they can also happen with a number of other forms of cancer.
Carcinoid tumours
Carcinoid tumours are a type of slow-growing cancer that can arise in several places throughout your body. According to the Mayo Clinic these are one subset of tumours, called neuroendocrine tumours, that usually begin in the digestive tract – the stomach, appendix, small intestine, colon, rectum – or in the lungs.
They often don’t cause signs and symptoms until late in the disease. However they can produce and release hormones into your body that cause signs and symptoms such as diarrhoea or skin flushing.
Research suggests facial flushing is a result of cardioid syndrome, which is induced by too many hormone-like substances being released into the blood. Carcinoid syndrome typically occurs in people who have carcinoid tumours that are advanced.
Skin cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma, which is a form of skin cancer, has also been known to change the appearance of the face. These happen in the sections of the face that are most likely to be exposed to the sun.
According to the Mayo Clinic squamous cell carcinoma of the skin most often occurs on sun-exposed skin. This includes the scalp, the backs of the hands, the ears or the lips.
However it can happen anywhere on the body – even inside the mouth, on the bottoms of the feet or on the genitals. When squamous cell carcinoma of the skin happens in people with Black and brown skin, it tends to happen in places that aren’t exposed to the sun.
Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin include:
- A firm bump on the skin, called a nodule. The nodule might be the same colour as the skin, or it might look different. It can look pink, red, black or brown, depending on skin colour.
- A flat sore with a scaly crust.
- A new sore or raised area on an old scar or sore.
- A rough, scaly patch on the lip that may become an open sore.
- A sore or rough patch inside the mouth.
- A raised patch or wartlike sore on or in the anus or on the genitals.