How long can cancer go undetected?
Cancer is a very aggressive disease marked by the abnormal growth of unhealthy cells in the body. As it is a progressive disease, the symptoms keep on getting worse with time. However, in the majority of the cases, the patients might not experience any symptoms initially, owing to which the condition is often diagnosed in a later stage. As per the leading cancer treatment specialist in Noida, although certain screening modalities are available for some cancers, not all cancers can be detected by these. When you hear that someone around you has been detected with cancer, a lot of questions start crowding your mind.
Could I have cancer too?
What if I have cancer and don’t know about it yet?
Should I go for a cancer screening?
Thinking about all these questions can leave you overwhelmed. After all, cancer is usually diagnosed after the symptoms develop, and by the time this happens cancer has already progressed, and the tumour has grown very large. It is pertinent to note that some cancers are detected more easily than others. For instance, skin cancer can be easily diagnosed with physical examination, though a biopsy may be recommended to confirm the same. Others can go undetected for as long as 10 years, or even more.
In this blog, we have listed some common cancers that are most likely to go undetected, with the help of experts from the best cancer treatment clinic in Noida.
Testicular cancer — The malignancy can develop in either one, or both of the testes and the patient may not experience any obvious symptoms. In some cases, regular self-checks can help to detect the cancerous mass or lump, however, this does not always happen.
Cervical cancer — Cervical cancer happens to be one of the leading causes of mortality in women, as the patient does not experience any symptoms initially and these are evident in the later stages. Luckily, going for a regular Pap smear can help in the detection of the precancerous cells, thereby enabling you to start early treatment.
Pancreatic cancer — The symptoms of pancreatic cancer, too, are not noticeable during the early stages and this is the reason why the survival rates associated with malignancy are quite low.
Breast cancer — Just like testicular cancer, regular self checkups can also help to detect breast cancer as there are noticeable changes in the breast. However, these are usually evident in the later stages. This is the reason why regular mammograms are very important for women, as these can help to detect the tumour in the initial stages.
Prostate cancer — The symptoms of prostate cancer are usually absent during the initial stages. So it is quite hard to detect the malignancy while it is still in the initial stages. The cancer is usually detected by assessing the markers in the blood.
Ovarian cancer — Although symptoms of ovarian cancer are not evident initially, however, unlike most other cancers, these develop suddenly and abruptly. Pap smear, which is recommended for cervical cancer, does not work for ovarian cancer. The malignancy is usually detected until the patients start experiencing the symptoms and opt for proper evaluation and assessment.
Lung cancer — The signs and symptoms of lung cancer are often mistaken for some other condition as these usually include cough and hoarseness, both of which are associated with a variety of different conditions. As per Dr. Vikas Goswami, Zeeva Oncology, most patients usually seek medical help when their symptoms worsen. Doctors usually recommend imaging tests and detailed examination of the patient sputum to look for traces of cancer.
There are many other malignancies that may go undetected initially and this is why it is important to watch out for the symptoms and go for proper evaluation and assessment. Diagnosing cancer in the early stage can increase the success rate of the treatment.
