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Often overlooked sign when you're eating dinner that could be a symptom of cancer
With most types of cancer, there are certain symptoms you can look out for, however, this isn't always the case. The type of symptoms a person may have can be different to others, while some cancers don't have symptoms at all. The most common signs and symptoms of cancer include fatigue, weight gain or loss, lumps under the skin, persistent cough or trouble breathing, and changes in bowel or bladder habits, according to Cancer Research UK.
Cancer Symptoms, small or large, shouldn't be ignored and it is important to consult with a doctor if you notice these changes in your body. When cancer is diagnosed at an early stage is more likely to be treated successfully, such as through surgery, medication, or chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
However, if a cancer symptom is overlooked and untreated, it could become life-threatening. One often overlooked sign of cancer includes if you're having difficulty swallowing food or feeling full at meal times.
The medical term used for swallowing difficulties is dysphagia and it may or may not be a sign of cancer. If it gets worse over time, it is best to seek medical advice. Alongside difficulty swallowing, there are five other common symptoms of cancer that you could be ignoring, according to John Hopkins gastroenterologist Anne Marie Lennon.
The five symptoms of cancer you might be ignoring:
Shortness of breath
Bleeding
Lumps and masses
Difficulty swallowing or feeling full
Changes in bodily functions
She said the five symptoms can seem as though they're nothing to worry about, but if they begin suddenly or get worse, then you should see your doctor. The medical expert insisted that shortness of breath should be evaluated if you experience it while doing normal activities that wouldn't usually make you out of breath, while changes in bodily functions can include sudden constipation or diarrhoea, difficulty passing urine, or feeling like you're not emptying your bowels completely.
Anna also said that certain types of bleeding can be more indicative of cancer than others, and while bleeding can be caused by other conditions, any bleeding that involves coughing up blood, having blood in your stool or urine, or having bloody nipple discharge should be evaluated by a doctor.
According to the Cancer Research UK website, one in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and around four in ten UK cancer cases every year could be prevented, that’s more than 135,000 every year. Visit the NHS website for more information.
注释：
lump: n
表示"瘤"，means "a hard swelling on the body"，如：The surgeon excised the lump from her breast. 外科医生切除了她乳房的肿块。
dysphagia: n
表示" 咽下困难"，means "condition in which swallowing is difficult or painful"，如：Other possible symptoms are ataxia, vertigo, seizures, and dysphagia. 其他可能的症状还有共济失调、眩晕、癫痫发作和吞咽困难。
gastroenterologist: n
表示" 胃肠病学家"，means "a physician who specializes in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract"，如：The gastroenterologist put me on a regimen of IV steroids for a couple of weeks to control the disease. 肠胃科医生开了IV类固醇激素让我服用几个星期，从而控制病情。
nipple: n
表示" 乳头；牛奶瓶的奶嘴"，means "a flexible cap on a baby's feeding bottle or pacifier"，如：Nipple inversion is quite common in normal breasts. 乳头内陷在正常乳房中也很常见。
中文简要说明：
感觉疲倦、体重下降等经常是罹患癌症的迹象，不过美国肠胃道专家伦农（Anne Marie Lennon）警告，还有一项民众经常轻忽的警讯是吞咽困难，若用餐时难以吞下食物，或没吃东西却总是有饱足感，就要特别注意。
英国《每日镜报》（Daily Mirror）报导，根据英国癌症研究协会（Cancer Research UK），罹患癌症最常见的症状与迹象包括感觉疲倦、体重增加或下降、皮肤下出现肿块、持续咳嗽或呼吸困难、大小便习惯改变等。
不过美国约翰霍普金斯大学（Johns Hopkins University）医学院肠胃道专家伦农撰文指出，吞咽困难是民众经常轻忽的罹癌警讯，她指出，吞咽困难「可能是」、「也可能不是」罹患癌症的迹象，但如果症状随着时间恶化，民众就应该看医生，另外民众如果几乎没吃东西，但依然感觉到「饱」，也应该就医。
美国医学网站「Healthline」指出，吞咽困难尤其可能是颈部、头部、嘴巴等部位癌症的症状，这些癌症的肿瘤生长，可能导致嘴巴、喉咙肌肉运作的方式改变。
「Healthline」罗列可能导致吞咽困难的癌症，包括甲状腺癌、喉癌、鼻癌及鼻窦癌、口腔癌、咽喉癌、食道癌、颔下腺癌，以及脸上的皮肤癌。
除了吞咽困难，伦农也另外列出4项民众经常轻忽的癌症警讯，包括呼吸急促、出血、出现肿块、生理机能改变。
伦农指出，医生将某些出血类型视为预示癌症的警讯，如果民众有咳血、便血、阴道异常出血、血尿、不正常的乳头分泌物，就应该赴医院检查。生理机能改变则包括突然便秘或腹泻、大小便困难，或感觉排便不干净等。
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