Vigilance is key against these symptomless or easily misdiagnosed diseases…
Silent cancers either do not present any noticeable early symptoms, or have symptoms that overlap with other, less severe, conditions. As a result, they’re often only caught at an advanced stage. Here, Dr Ahmed El-Modir, consultant oncologist at Spire Little Aston Hospital, talks us through five silent cancers and the risk factors behind them.
1 Bowel cancer
This refers to cancer of the large intestines, which includes your colon and rectum. Depending on where it starts, it’s also known as colon cancer or rectal cancer. Common symptoms include persistent abdominal pain, bloating, cramps and changes in your bowel habits. You may also notice blood in your stools, have the urge to open your bowels even after recently passing stools, and unintentionally lose weight. The biggest risk factor for bowel cancer is age, with nine out of 10 cases in those aged over 60. Your risk is also increased if you have a close family member — a parent or sibling — who had bowel cancer before the age of 50. Lifestyle factors can increase your risk too — including smoking, heavy drinking, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, and following a diet that’s low in fibre and high in red and processed meat.
2 Cervical cancer
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). In the UK, all women over the age of 25 are offered regular cervical screening to test for HPV infection. And the HPV vaccine, available to girls and boys aged 12-13 as part of the NHS vaccination programme, reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Common symptoms include vaginal bleeding in between your periods, during or after sex and after menopause, heavier periods, changes to your vaginal discharge, pain during sex and pain in your lower back, lower abdomen and pelvic area. Cervical cancer is more common in those aged under 45 and those with a weakened immune system. Your risk of cervical cancer is also higher if you’ve had children before the age of 17, had multiple births, haven’t been vaccinated against HPV or previously had bladder, kidney, vaginal or vulval cancer.
3 Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK and mainly affects those aged over 40. The symptoms include a persistent cough, breathlessness when performing activities that usually aren’t a strain, coughing up blood, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain in your chest or shoulders, repeated or persistent chest infections, and unintentional weight loss. Seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is more common among smokers, is also a major risk factor. Other risk factors for lung cancer include frequently breathing in diesel fumes and other toxic chemicals, such as arsenic, asbestos, coal fumes and silica.
4 Ovarian cancer
Many of the symptoms of ovarian cancer overlap with period symptoms, so noticing how often you experience these symptoms is important. Common symptoms include abdominal bloating, back pain, fatigue and persistent pain or tenderness in your pelvic area. Other symptoms include constipation, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, feeling full after eating only a small amount, unintentional weight loss, sudden urges to urinate and urinating more often. Women over 45 are most at risk, as well as women with diabetes or endometriosis, women carrying the faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, and those with a close female relative — a mother or sister — who had ovarian cancer. Smoking and being overweight also increases your risk, and taking HRT to treat menopause can slightly increase the risk.
5 Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer can affect any part of your pancreas, which sits behind your stomach where your ribs meet at the bottom of your breastbone. Many symptoms of pancreatic cancer relate to digestion, such as bloating, changes in your stools, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. You may also experience back pain and pain in your upper abdomen, which feels better when you lean forward and worse when you lie down or eat. Other symptoms include jaundice, unintentional weight loss, loss of appetite, fever and fatigue. Your risk of pancreatic cancer is higher if you smoke, drink heavily, are overweight or aged over 75. Although most cases of pancreatic cancer do not run in families, you are at increased risk if a close relative had pancreatic cancer or if you carry a faulty BRCA2 gene. Certain medical conditions also increase your risk, including chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, gallstones and metabolic syndrome.