A senior doctor has shared the signs and symptoms of the cancers that are the easiest to miss because they often have mild or no symptoms at all. Ahmed El-Modir is an expert in the deadly disease, having worked as a consultant oncologist at a private hospital in Birmingham - and has shared a list of the most commonly missed cancers.
Dr El-Modir said it is often when people are in the advanced stages of cancer when they realise something is wrong, because some early symptoms can be mild or even non-existent, BirminghamLive reports. The specialist added that sometimes it is when a patient is being treated for an unrelated condition that the cancer is noticed by chance.
Dr El-Modir, who works at the Spire Little Aston Hospital near Sutton Coldfield, has shared five of the cancers that are most commonly missed, along with the risk factors that could lead to them developing and the symptoms.
Liver cancer
Liver cancer can often be missed until it has grown to an advanced stage because a lot of the symptoms are similar to digestion issues, Dr El-Modir said. The signs to watch out from include vomiting, nausea, lighter-coloured stools, darker urine and feeling full after only eating a small amount of food.
Dr El-Modir said people affected may "notice a lump on the top right side of the abdomen, feel pain in this area, and experience abdominal swelling that isn't caused by eating". Other symptoms include jaundice - the whites of the eyes becoming yellow - pain in the right shoulder, unintentional weight loss, fatigue, fever and little appetite.
The risk is higher in men, the over 60s and those with a sibling or parent who was diagnosed with liver cancer. There is also an increased risk for people with diabetes, gallstones, hepatitis, HIV, liver cirrhosis or people infected with liver flukes, added the doc.
Ovarian cancer
As symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to those while menstruating, they can be missed. Mr El-Modir said this meant noting down how often you experience these symptoms is important in order to help rule out that it is down to a period.
Signs range from abdominal bloating to back pain, fatigue and persistent pain or tenderness in the pelvis. Other symptoms are constipation, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, feeling full after eating only a small amount of food, unintentional weight loss and even sudden urges to have a wee and urinating more often.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Women aged over 45 are the most at risk of cancer of the ovaries along with females with diabetes or endometriosis or those carrying faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with a close female relative, such as a mother or sister, who had ovarian cancer have also been found to be at a higher risk of developing the cancer.
Smoking, being overweight and taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause are risk factors said the oncologist.
Lung cancer
Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, symptoms can be missed or mistaken for flu or a cold.
Signs include a persistent cough, breathlessness when performing activities that usually aren't a strain, coughing up blood, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain in the chest or shoulders, repeated or persistent chest infections, and unintentional weight loss. This cancer also mainly affects the over 40s.
Research has found 70% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking, according to the doctor. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a risk factor as are exposure to high levels of radon gas, frequently breathing in diesel fumes and toxic chemicals including asbestos, coal fumes and silica.
Pancreatic cancer
Tucked away inside the body, the pancreas is found behind the stomach, where ribs meet at the bottom of the breastbone. Cancer in this organ causes symptoms that can be mistaken for digestion issues - things like bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.
Other signs range from jaundice - when the whites of the eyes become yellow - unintentional weight loss, fever, fatigue and not feeling hungry. A pain in the back and upper abdomen, which feel better when leaning forward and worse when lying down or eating, in another symptom.
The consultant said the risk of pancreatic cancer is higher in people who smoke, drink heavily, are overweight or aged over 75. Conditions such as diabetes and gallstones can also increase the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.
"Although most cases of pancreatic cancer do not run in families, you are at increased risk if a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, has had pancreatic cancer or if you carry a faulty BRCA2 gene," said Mr El-Modir
Prostate cancer
This cancer affects the prostate gland in men. It's found at the base of the bladder and only the size of a walnut. "Symptoms of prostate cancer usually only occur once the tumour is large enough to press against the urethra," explained Mr El-Modir.
"Symptoms include difficulty urinating, needing to urinate more often and the sensation that your bladder is not completely empty even after urinating."
Most cases are found in men aged between 75 and 79 as the risk of prostate cancer increases with age, but it is common in men aged 50 and above.
Risk factors include being overweight or obese, having a father or brother who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Ethnicity also plays a part as men of African Caribbean descent have been found to have a higher risk than Caucasian or Asian men.
