Women and cancer: Important warning signs

Eve Grossman-Bukowski experienced pain while on a flight to Iowa

The stories of cancer patients often inspire hope and courage, particularly when the disease hits those who are young and active. But those stories also offer important information about physical symptoms that warrant medical attention. Recently, WebMD published a list of warning signs most often ignored by women. The list included persistent and unexplained pain, blood in the stool, and unexplained lumps. Each of these symptoms is common among the narratives of survivors included in the Colon Cancer Coalition’s Stories of Hope and Forget Me Nots.

Survivor Barb Rosen experienced chronic and persistent abdominal pain which eventually landed her in an emergency room. She met with a long list of medical specialists before she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Stacy Ostenson found blood in her stool while on a family vacation. A friend recommended that she get it checked immediately, which she did. Stacy underwent surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer. Eve Grossman – Bukowski experienced symptoms while on a flight to the Iowa caucus. Her unbearable pain landed her in the ER upon arrival and in surgery a week later. She finished treatment for cancer in July, 2008. Kim Freitag passed away in July, 2009 after a lump in her abdomen led to a diagnosis of colon cancer and almost a year of grueling treatment. All of these women were “too young” to be concerned about cancer, and colon cancer in particular.

The rate at which cancer is diagnosed increases with age, but cancer can occur in individuals of all ages. Sometimes youth gives an illusion of protection, explains Mary Daly, MD, oncologist and head of the department of clinical genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

“Younger women, for instance, tend to ignore symptoms that could point to cancer. “They have this notion that cancer is a problem of older people,” Daly told WebMD. And they’re often right, but plenty of young people get cancer, too.

With the suggestion of “a healthy balance between denial and hypochondria in mind,”  WebMD.com lists the following symptoms which deserve attention.

• Unexplained weight loss
• Bloating that is daily and persistent
• Breast Changes
• Unusual mid-cycle bleeding
• Skin changes
• Difficult swallowing
• Blood in the colon
• Coughing up blood
• Simultaneous depression and severe abdominal pain
• Mouth and/or tongue changes
• Persistent and unexplainable pain
• Lumps near the armpit or in the neck
• Fever that is not related to flu or other infection
• Chronic unexplained fatigue
• Persistent cough

For more information on these symptoms, or to read the full article, visit 15 Cancer Symptoms Women Ignore at WebMD.com

Visit the Colon Cancer Coalition Stories of Hope and Forget Me Nots to read more about those who have been affected by colon cancer.