How did you find out about cancer?

The doctor may start by asking about your personal and family medical history and do a physical exam. The doctor also may order lab tests, imaging tests (scans), or other tests or procedures. You may also need a biopsy, which is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer.

What symptoms did you have before being diagnosed with cancer?

Common signs and symptoms of cancer in both men and women include:

• Pain. Bone cancer often hurts from the beginning.
• Weight loss without trying. Almost half of people who have cancer lose weight.
• Fatigue.
• Fever.
• Changes in your skin.
• Sores that don’t heal.
• Cough or hoarseness that doesn’t go away.
• Unusual bleeding.

What are subtle signs of cancer?

Here are 14 possible symptoms to look out for.

• Fatigue. Pay attention to persistent fatigue that you can’t easily explain.
• Skin bumps. Skin cancer can look innocuous.
• Feeling full really quickly. Feeling full after just a few bites?
• Poor appetite.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Breast rashes.
• Bloating.
• Fever.

Which cancers are hardest to detect?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and that’s because many of its symptoms don’t become apparent until the cancer is in an advanced stage.

How do doctors tell you that you have cancer?

Biopsy: In a biopsy (BY-op-see), the doctor takes out a small piece of the lump to check it for cancer cells. A biopsy is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer. There are many ways to do a biopsy. The type used will depend on the size of the lump and where it is in your body.

How to tell your family and friends you have cancer?

There’s no one right way to tell people you have cancer. You might break the news differently with each person you tell. You might decide to ask a family member or friend to let others know about your diagnosis. You may worry about how your family and friends will feel. This is normal.

How can you tell if you have blood cancer?

Complete blood count (CBC). This common blood test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in a sample of your blood. Blood cancers may be detected using this test if too many or too few of a type of blood cell or abnormal cells are found. A bone marrow biopsy may help confirm a diagnosis of a blood cancer. Blood protein testing.

Does having a tumor mean you have cancer?

A tumor is an abnormal lump or growth of cells. When the cells in the tumor are normal, it is benign. Something just went wrong, and they overgrew and produced a lump. When the cells are abnormal and can grow uncontrollably, they are cancerous cells, and the tumor is malignant.