Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLung CancerProstate CancerColorectal CancerMelanomaBladder CancerNon-Hodgkin LymphomaKidney CancerEndometrial/Uterine CancerLeukemiaPancreatic CancerThyroid CancerLiver Cancer
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lung Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Melanoma
Bladder Cancer
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Kidney Cancer
Endometrial/Uterine Cancer
Leukemia
Pancreatic Cancer
Thyroid Cancer
Liver Cancer
The early signs ofcancerare often nonspecific, and most people don’t present with obvious symptoms until it has progressed to later stages, making early diagnosis difficult.
Although many cancers share commonalities, including solid tumors and blood cancers, they each have distinct features and pathways. Knowing your own risk factors for cancer can help you spot the early signs and symptoms.
Types of Cancer and How They Differ
PansLaos / Getty Images
Breast Cancer
Breast canceris a disease in which the cells of the breast grow out of control. In very rare cases, men can develop breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women, only behind some types of skin cancers.In 2020, there were an estimated 276,480 new cases of breast cancer.
An estimated 63% of breast cancer cases were diagnosed in the early stages when the cancer was localized.Early diagnosis of breast cancer is often made through regular breast cancer screening, which often include amammogram,breast MRI, and clinical breast exam. Women are also encouraged to perform breast self-exams and report any lumps, pain, and changes to their healthcare provider.
Breast Cancer Checks: From Self-Exams to Screening Tests
The early signs of breast cancer can include:
What a Breast Cancer Lump Feels LikeIt may be difficult to feel a tumor that is less than half an inch in diameter, but any above that size will be easy to identify when touched. In early cases, the lump or mass will likely feel different than the tissue surrounding it and be moveable. If you notice a change or mass in your breasts, schedule an examination with your doctor.
What a Breast Cancer Lump Feels Like
It may be difficult to feel a tumor that is less than half an inch in diameter, but any above that size will be easy to identify when touched. In early cases, the lump or mass will likely feel different than the tissue surrounding it and be moveable. If you notice a change or mass in your breasts, schedule an examination with your doctor.
Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms
Lung canceris the leading cause of cancer deaths globally.It is estimated that roughly 228,820 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, accounting for 12.7% of all new cancer cases.Over 50% of people with lung cancer are not diagnosed until the cancer has metastasized, making the survival rate low at 20.5%.Early diagnosis of lung cancer accounts for only 17% of all lung cancer cases.
Many people often ignore typical symptoms of lung cancer because they can seem like repercussions from smoking or signs of a lung infection. Early symptoms of lung cancer include:
Why Am I Coughing Up Blood?
Prostate canceraffected an estimated 191,930 people in 2020.These cases make up 10.6% of all new cancer cases. Roughly 76% of all cases are diagnosed in the early or localized stage.This can be attributed to proper and effective screening for prostate cancer.Early warning signs of prostate cancer include:
Prostate Cancer Screening RecommendationsSince prostate cancer that’s diagnosed early has a five-year survival rate of 100%, getting proper screening is important.The American Cancer Society recommends that men over 50 with average risk and men over 40 with a high risk of developing prostate cancer should get screened regularly for prostate cancer. Risk factors of prostate cancer include:Age: the majority of cases are found in men over 40African-American men tend to be at higher riskGeographical location, because those in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean islands are at higher riskFamily history of prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations
Since prostate cancer that’s diagnosed early has a five-year survival rate of 100%, getting proper screening is important.The American Cancer Society recommends that men over 50 with average risk and men over 40 with a high risk of developing prostate cancer should get screened regularly for prostate cancer. Risk factors of prostate cancer include:Age: the majority of cases are found in men over 40African-American men tend to be at higher riskGeographical location, because those in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean islands are at higher riskFamily history of prostate cancer
Since prostate cancer that’s diagnosed early has a five-year survival rate of 100%, getting proper screening is important.The American Cancer Society recommends that men over 50 with average risk and men over 40 with a high risk of developing prostate cancer should get screened regularly for prostate cancer. Risk factors of prostate cancer include:
How Prostate Cancer Is Diagnosed
Colorectal canceris more likely to occur in people over the age of 50. There were roughly 147,950 new cases of colorectal cancer in 2020, accounting for 9.2% of all new cancers. Early detection generally occurs at a rate of 38%, with the majority of colorectal cancers being diagnosed after the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
In recent years, colorectal cancer death rates have dropped because the colorectal polyps found during screenings are less likely to develop into cancer if removed promptly. Early signs of colorectal cancer include:
How Colon Cancer Is Diagnosed
Melanomamakes up roughly 1% of all skin cancers, but is the cause of the majority of skin cancer deaths.In 2020, there were 100,350 new cases of melanoma, making up 5.6% of all new cancers. The majority of melanoma cases, roughly 83%, are diagnosed in the early stages.
The five-year relative survival rate of melanoma cases that were detected early is high at 99%.Early symptoms to watch out for include:
The ABCDE RuleThe ABCDE rule is a great tool for keeping track of moles and spots on the body that may be melanoma. When examining your body, look out for:Asymmetry:If a mole or birthmark is not even or one side does not match the otherBorder:Irregular, ragged, or blurred borders can sometimes be a sign of melanomaColor:Changes in color or a spot that is more than one color with different shades of brown or black, or has patches of pink, blue, red, or whiteDiameter:If the spot has a diameter larger than a pencil eraser, it should be examined furtherEvolving:If the spot or mole changes in shape, color, or size
The ABCDE Rule
The ABCDE rule is a great tool for keeping track of moles and spots on the body that may be melanoma. When examining your body, look out for:Asymmetry:If a mole or birthmark is not even or one side does not match the otherBorder:Irregular, ragged, or blurred borders can sometimes be a sign of melanomaColor:Changes in color or a spot that is more than one color with different shades of brown or black, or has patches of pink, blue, red, or whiteDiameter:If the spot has a diameter larger than a pencil eraser, it should be examined furtherEvolving:If the spot or mole changes in shape, color, or size
The ABCDE rule is a great tool for keeping track of moles and spots on the body that may be melanoma. When examining your body, look out for:
Early-Stage Melanoma: Skin Cancer Treatment
Since the early signs ofbladder cancerare quite obvious, early detection can be easier than in other types of cancer. It is estimated that in 2020, there were 81,400 new cases of bladder cancer, accounting for 4.5% of all new cancer cases.
Theearly signs and symptoms of bladder cancerinclude:
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaoriginates in the lymphatic system. In 2020, there were an estimated 77,240 new cases of the disease. Roughly 25% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases are diagnosed in the early stages, and when that happens, the five-year relative survival rate is as high as 83.5%.
Early signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma include:
Since most of these symptoms and signs are nonspecific in nature, knowing your risk factors can also inform you how often you need screening for this type of cancer.
Kidney canceris hard to diagnose in the early stages because it’s difficult to feel small tumors during a physical exam. It is often caught on X-ray or ultrasound conducted for another reason. There were an estimated 73,750 new cases of kidney cancer documented in 2020, with the five-year relative survival rate being 75.2%.The 5-year relative survival rate jumps to 92.6% for cases diagnosed early.
The early symptoms of kidney cancer are:
How Kidney Cancer Is Diagnosed and Staged
Endometrial or uterine canceraffects the uterus. In 2020, there were 65,620 newly diagnosed cases, making up 3.6% of the total cancer cases. The majority of endometrial and uterine cancers are diagnosed in the early stages, accounting for 67% of all cases.Early signs of endometrial cancer include:
Risk Factors for Uterine CancerAlthough the symptoms of endometrial cancer present early, they can be nonspecific and may mimic those of other less serious health conditions. This is why it’s important to know the risk factors associated with the disease. The risk factors of uterine cancer are:Things that affect hormone levels, like taking estrogen after menopause, birth control pills, or tamoxifen; the number of menstrual cycles; pregnancy; certain ovarian tumors; and polycystic ovarian syndromeUse of an IUDAgeObesityDiet and exerciseType 2 diabetesFamily history of endometrial or colorectal cancerA history of breast or ovarian cancerA history of endometrial hyperplasiaTreatment with radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat another cancer
Risk Factors for Uterine Cancer
Although the symptoms of endometrial cancer present early, they can be nonspecific and may mimic those of other less serious health conditions. This is why it’s important to know the risk factors associated with the disease. The risk factors of uterine cancer are:Things that affect hormone levels, like taking estrogen after menopause, birth control pills, or tamoxifen; the number of menstrual cycles; pregnancy; certain ovarian tumors; and polycystic ovarian syndromeUse of an IUDAgeObesityDiet and exerciseType 2 diabetesFamily history of endometrial or colorectal cancerA history of breast or ovarian cancerA history of endometrial hyperplasiaTreatment with radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat another cancer
Although the symptoms of endometrial cancer present early, they can be nonspecific and may mimic those of other less serious health conditions. This is why it’s important to know the risk factors associated with the disease. The risk factors of uterine cancer are:
Common Conditions That Can Affect the Uterus
Leukemiais a type of blood cancer that affects developing blood cells. It is estimated that there were 60,530 new cases of leukemia in 2020, accounting for 3.4% of all new cancer cases.Since many people do not experience symptoms or the symptoms develop over a long period of time, early diagnosis of leukemia is rare.
Certain signs of leukemia could alert a person to be tested, including:
How Leukemia Is Treated
Pancreatic canceraffected an estimated 57,600 people in 2020, making up 3.2% of the total new cancer cases. Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is vital when it comes to survival because the five-year relative survival rate is low at only 10% for all cases. Early diagnosis raises the five-year survival rate to 39.4%.
Similar to the kidney, the pancreas is located deep within the body, making early detection of small tumors extremely difficult. Early signs of pancreatic cancer include:
How Pancreatic Cancer Is Diagnosed
Thyroid canceraffected roughly 52,890 people in 2020, accounting for 2.9% of total cancer cases. About 67% of all thyroid cancer cases are diagnosed in the early stages.
Not every case of thyroid cancer will present with the same symptoms, but they can include:
What Does a Thyroid Lump Look and Feel Like?
Thyroid Disease Causes and Risk Factors
Liver canceraffected 42,810 people in 2020. This number accounts for 2.4% of new cancer cases. The five-year relative survival rate for liver cancer is low at only 19.6%. When it is diagnosed early, the survival rate is a little higher at 34.2%.
Some signs to look out for include:
A Word From Verywell
Knowing the early warning signs of cancer can make a huge difference in your odds for survival. Some symptoms are general and nonspecific, which can make it difficult to determine if follow-up testing is needed. There are, however, seven signs of cancer that you should never ignore, including a sore that doesn’t heal or doesn’t stop bleeding, a lump anywhere on the body, unexplained bleeding or discharge from any part of the body, bladder or bowel changes that are persistent in nature, a cough or hoarseness that doesn’t go away, indigestion or difficulty swallowing that doesn’t go away, and any skin changes such as new warts or moles.
Getting screened for cancer is scary, but it is necessary if you have risk factors for specific types of cancer and has a positive long-term impact if cancer is diagnosed.
33 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Breast cancer statistics.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer facts and statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.American Lung Association.Lung cancer trends brief.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: lung and bronchus cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lung cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.O’Connor L, Wang A, Walker SM, Yerram N, Pinto PA, Turkbey B.Use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in localized prostate cancer.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(5):435-442. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1755257Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the five warning signs of prostate cancer?.American Cancer Society.Prostate cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: colorectal cancer.American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Melanoma skin cancer statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: melanoma of the skin.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: non-Hodgkin lymphoma.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: kidney and renal pelvis cancer.City of Hope.Kidney cancer symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: uterine cancer.Mayo Clinic.Endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Endometrial cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: leukemia.City of Hope.Leukemia symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: pancreatic cancer.City of Hope.Pancreatic cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: thyroid cancer.City of Hope.Thyroid cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.City of Hope.Liver cancer signs and symptoms.
33 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Breast cancer statistics.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer facts and statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.American Lung Association.Lung cancer trends brief.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: lung and bronchus cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lung cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.O’Connor L, Wang A, Walker SM, Yerram N, Pinto PA, Turkbey B.Use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in localized prostate cancer.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(5):435-442. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1755257Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the five warning signs of prostate cancer?.American Cancer Society.Prostate cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: colorectal cancer.American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Melanoma skin cancer statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: melanoma of the skin.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: non-Hodgkin lymphoma.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: kidney and renal pelvis cancer.City of Hope.Kidney cancer symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: uterine cancer.Mayo Clinic.Endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Endometrial cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: leukemia.City of Hope.Leukemia symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: pancreatic cancer.City of Hope.Pancreatic cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: thyroid cancer.City of Hope.Thyroid cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.City of Hope.Liver cancer signs and symptoms.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cleveland Clinic.Cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Breast cancer statistics.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer facts and statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.American Lung Association.Lung cancer trends brief.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: lung and bronchus cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lung cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.O’Connor L, Wang A, Walker SM, Yerram N, Pinto PA, Turkbey B.Use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in localized prostate cancer.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(5):435-442. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1755257Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the five warning signs of prostate cancer?.American Cancer Society.Prostate cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: colorectal cancer.American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.American Cancer Society.Melanoma skin cancer statistics.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: melanoma of the skin.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: bladder cancer.American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: non-Hodgkin lymphoma.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: kidney and renal pelvis cancer.City of Hope.Kidney cancer symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: uterine cancer.Mayo Clinic.Endometrial cancer.American Cancer Society.Endometrial cancer risk factors.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: leukemia.City of Hope.Leukemia symptoms and signs.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: pancreatic cancer.City of Hope.Pancreatic cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: thyroid cancer.City of Hope.Thyroid cancer symptoms.National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.City of Hope.Liver cancer signs and symptoms.
Cleveland Clinic.Cancer staging.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Breast cancer statistics.
Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer facts and statistics.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Breast cancer signs and symptoms.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer trends brief.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: lung and bronchus cancer.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lung cancer symptoms.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.
O’Connor L, Wang A, Walker SM, Yerram N, Pinto PA, Turkbey B.Use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in localized prostate cancer.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(5):435-442. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1755257
Moffitt Cancer Center.What are the five warning signs of prostate cancer?.
American Cancer Society.Prostate cancer risk factors.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: colorectal cancer.
American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.
American Cancer Society.Melanoma skin cancer statistics.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: melanoma of the skin.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: bladder cancer.
American Cancer Society.Bladder cancer signs and symptoms.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: kidney and renal pelvis cancer.
City of Hope.Kidney cancer symptoms and signs.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: uterine cancer.
Mayo Clinic.Endometrial cancer.
American Cancer Society.Endometrial cancer risk factors.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: leukemia.
City of Hope.Leukemia symptoms and signs.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: pancreatic cancer.
City of Hope.Pancreatic cancer symptoms.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: thyroid cancer.
City of Hope.Thyroid cancer symptoms.
National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.Cancer stat facts: liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
City of Hope.Liver cancer signs and symptoms.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
