4. How To Detect It

• How can you tell if you have cancer without seeing a doctor?
  You cannot. A regular thorough physical check-up is your best guard against cancer, plus an examination when one of the seven danger signals or warnings appears. You are the first line of defense against cancer because, you alone, can recognize a danger signal and heed its warning.
   

• What are some of the early signs of cancer?
  There are seven common ones. They are often called the Seven Danger Signals of Cancer:

• Change in bowel or bladder habits.

• A Sore that does not heal.

• Unusual bleeding or discharge.

• Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere.

• Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.

• Obvious change in wart or mole.

• Nagging cough or hoarseness.

You should at once consult a doctor upon the appearance of any sign.

• Is pain an early symptom of cancer?
  No, except in a cancer involving bone or nerve tissue. Pain usually is a late symptom and when it occurs, the growth is often far advanced.
   

• Why should cancer be diagnosed and treated early?
  The sooner it is found it is less likely to have spread to other parts of the body.
   

• How long is it safe to wait before consulting a physician?
  Any delay is dangerous. Go at once to a doctor and ask for a thorough examination.
   

• Why are periodic examinations necessary?
  The earlier a cancer is treated the greater the chance of a cure. Through periodic examinations cancer may be detected in its early stages, before the individual has noticed any sign or symptom in himself.
   

• Where can you get a check-up?
  The Indian Cancer Society runs several check-up clinics. You can find out which is closest to you.
   

• What comprises a thorough check-up?
  Careful inspection of the entire body surface, heart, blood vessel and lung examinations. Examination by sight and touch of accessible organs, such as the mouth, nostrils, ears, throat, chest, breasts, womb, and rectum. Examinations of stomach and intestines by X-ray when indicated. Microscopic examination of blood, urine, and any suspected tissue. In women, special examination of the breasts. Other examinations as indicated, such as of the eye, bladder and prostate by appropriate methods.
   

• Is the check-up painful?
  The check-up takes only an hour and is completely painless. You may phone and get an appointment.
   

• What is mammography?
  Mammography is a special X-ray examination of the breast tissues.
   

• What is a pap smear?
  The Papanicolaou Test, (or Pap smear) is in fact a microscopic examination of the cells exfoliated from the uterus and cervix. The doctor takes a swab from the tissue surface for examination. This test warns patients of the presence of cancer even as tiny as a pin-head or gives evidence of a lesion which is a pre-cursor of cancer.
   

• Is bleeding always a sign of cancer?
  No, but bleeding should be promptly and carefully investigated, to determine if it is due to cancer. A small percentage of bleeding nipples are due to cancer. Bleeding from other body openings, such as rectum or bladder, should be carefully investigated to rule out cancer. Unnatural vaginal bleeding, especially after the change of life can be a very suspicious sign of cancer.
   

• Does blood in bowel movements indicate cancer?
  Movements streaked with bright blood or the occurrence of black or "tarry" stools should lead to prompt and thorough investigation. The assumption that rectal bleeding is merely due to hemorrhoids, or piles, is most dangerous, since such bleeding may be due to a multiplicity of causes, including cancer, which require prompt treatment.
   

• Does blood in the urine indicate cancer?
  It may, but it may also be caused by conditions other than cancer. A careful examination is essential to rule out cancer.
   

• Is it true that cancer generally develops among people in poor health?
  There is no known relation between the status of one's health and the development of cancer. Regular checkups provide the best safeguard against cancer as well as against various other diseases.
   

• How can we diagnose cancer of the stomach?
  The best method is an X-ray examination. The outline of the interior of the stomach when filled with a radio-opaque material such as barium sulphate, can give clues to the presence of cancer. Chemical tests of stomach contents are also of value. Only in late stages a lump may be felt through the body wall.
   

• How are cancers in the head and neck region diagnosed?
  The most important test is an examination of the mouth and throat with a head light and mirror, to check for ulcerations, growths and white patches on the lining membrane called mucosa. A "Biopsy" specimen is always taken to confirm the clinical diagnosis. This is then reported by an experienced Histo-pathologist in the laboratory. In India nearly 40% of Cancer arises in this region, in men.
   

• What techniques are used to detect cancer?
  Xerographs, mammographs, thermographs, CAT Scans, etc. are some of the highly sophisticated methods of cancer detection, in addition to clinical and pathological examinations.