Could you spot the signs of cancer?

But whatever the result, the NHS will be there to treat you every step of the way.

Spot it early

The thought you might have cancer is frightening. There’s the fear of the unknown, the thought of having to have lots of tests, operations and treatment, and then the worry of how it could impact your family.

It’s easy to feel it would be better not to know or to put your head in the sand and ignore any symptoms.

But putting it off like this makes things much worse, because the earlier you spot it and ask for help, the better your chances. Any delay could lead to your needing more complex treatment and a potentially worse outcome.

And survival rates are increasing: they have doubled in the past 40 years, with half of us now expected to live for at least 10 years after diagnosis*. So contact your GP practice early to maximise your chances. 

‘Cancer symptoms can come in different shapes and sizes,’ says NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Peter Johnson. ‘Some can be less obvious than others, so it’s important to know what is normal for you so you can spot any changes.

‘We know that many people don’t want to bother anyone with their health concerns – particularly if they are unsure about them – but we would always prefer you to contact your GP practice so that you can
be checked.

‘If something in your body doesn’t feel right, please come forward. It could be nothing serious, but it could save your life.’

Despite working in a GP surgery, pharmacy dispensary assistant Anna Mamwell thought her symptoms were the flu when she was diagnosed with leukaemia aged 39.

‘I was fit and healthy; I was one of those people that never took a day off ill,’ she says. ‘I counted myself as fairly well educated on health because of my job, so my diagnosis was even more of a shock.’

She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia – a very aggressive form of the disease with just a 15 per cent survival rate – after experiencing symptoms for about 10 to 14 days.

‘I thought I had flu initially,’ says Anna, from Louth, Lincolnshire. ‘I’d had this thumping headache that just wouldn’t shift. I think that was the start of it, but, obviously, being a busy working mum, you carry on.

‘It ultimately got to the point where I couldn’t go to work. But I wasn’t getting better and started to question what was going on.’

‘I was feeling lethargic, had no appetite, was sweaty and feverish, had bone pain in my neck and a rash across my chest, but still didn’t link it to anything.

‘I was awake and looking at the monitor, and saw what looked like a long-stemmed mushroom on the screen. I said, “What’s that?” The consultant said, “We’ll talk about that in a minute.” Then they got my wife from the waiting room. She had to do the “walk of fear” into the operating room. It was scary.

‘The consultant then said, “You’ve got bladder cancer.” That “mushroom” was a tumour. That was a bit of a shock.’

Within weeks, David had had surgery to remove the cancer and started a three-year course of BCG treatment into his bladder to help stop it returning.

‘I was lucky,’ says David. ‘The consultant said, “We’ve caught it early enough” – it was high grade but it hadn’t spread.’

Annual checks have so far shown no signs of recurrence, and David expects to be signed off next year.

He says: ‘Thank goodness for that TV campaign because, to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have taken it as seriously without it.’

This article is part of a paid-for partnership with HM Government.

*Cancer Research UK.