BC Cancer Agency Information as

Related to the Work Safe

Presumptive List

 

Here is list of signs and symptoms of the presumptive cancers that have been approved.

This information comes from the BC Cancer Agency Web Site

 

 

 

You will note that a lot of cancer in its earlier stages do not show a lot symptoms. 

Also if you read the various types there are a lot of similarities

• Shortness of breath 
• unintended weight loss 
• nausea
•  light headedness
• ..........  

 

 

The signs or symptoms of leukemia may vary depending on whether you have an acute or chronic type of leukemia.

Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks.

Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually. People with a chronic leukemia often complain that they just do not feel well. The disease is often found during a routine blood test.

Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as leukemia. See your doctor if you have:

• fatigue
• a general feeling of discomfort or illness (called malaise)
• loss of appetite
• weight loss.
• fever
• shortness of breath
• paleness
• rapid heartbeat (called palpitations)
• weakness
• dizziness
• easy bruising
• frequent or severe nose bleeds
• bleeding gums
• bleeding in the middle of a menstrual cycle or heavy menstrual flow
• tiny, flat, red spots caused by bleeding just under the surface of the skin (called petechiae)
• frequent infections in the lungs, urinary tract or gums or around the anus
• frequent cold sores
• vomiting
• headache
• sore throat
• night sweats
• bone or joint pain
• enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, groin or above the collarbone.
• abdominal discomfort or feeling of fullness.
• vision problems.
• sores in the eyes
• swelling of the testicles
• chloroma 

– a collection of leukemia cells, or blasts, under the skin or in other parts of the body

• leukemia cutis – appears as sores or as patches of any size that are usually pink or tan in color.
• leukocytoclastic vasculitis – a condition that looks like an allergic reaction on the skin and usually causes sores on the hands and feet.
• Sweet’s syndrome, or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis – causes fever and painful sores that may appear anywhere on the body.

 

 

 Signs or symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

(NHL) may vary depending on the type of NHL, where it starts in the body and how advanced it is. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as NHL.

The most common symptom of NHL is swollen, or enlarged, lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin. The swollen lymph nodes are usually painless, but they can eventually put pressure on tissue or organs around them and cause discomfort or pain.

Other common symptoms of NHL include:

• a rash or itchy skin on the chest, stomach and back
• unexplained fatigue

Some symptoms of NHL are generalized, which means that they affect the whole body. These are called B symptoms, or systemic symptoms. They usually include:

• unexplained fever over 38°C that doesn’t go away
• drenching night sweats (enough to soak bedding and night clothes)
• unexplained weight loss of more than 10% of body weight within the last 6 months

Symptoms, by where the NHL develops.

NHL can cause other signs and symptoms depending on where it starts in the body.

NHL in the chest may cause:

• shortness of breath
• coughing
• feeling of pressure in the chest
• chest pain
• swelling and bluish-red color on the head, arms and upper chest (caused by superior vena cava syndrome)

NHL in the abdomen may cause:

• indigestion
• swelling in the abdomen
• discomfort or pain in the abdomen.
• loss of appetite
• feeling full after eating a small amount of food
• nausea or vomiting
• enlarged liver or spleen.

NHL in the brain and spinal cord (called the central nervous system, or CNS) may cause:

• headaches
• double vision
• numbness of the face
• trouble thinking
• trouble speaking
• weakness
• personality changes
• seizures

NHL in the bone marrow may cause bone pain in the legs, ribs, spine or pelvis. It can also cause low blood cell counts, which can lead to:

• infections that stay or come back again and again.
• bleeding or easy bruising
• fatigue

NHL in the skin often appears as itchy, red or purple lumps under the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

Bladder cancer: may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor gets bigger or grows deeper into the wall of the bladder. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as bladder cancer.

The most common sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine (pee) (hematuria). This may cause changes to the color of the urine, such as turning it orange, pink or red. Sometimes the amount of blood in the urine is so small that you can’t see it and it is only found during a 

urinalysis 

.

Other signs and symptoms of bladder cancer may include:

• a need to urinate more often than usual (frequent urination)
• an intense need to urinate (urgent urination)
• burning or pain during urination
• difficulty urinating or having a weak stream of urine.
• low back pain or pain in the pelvis

 

 

 

 

 

 

The signs or symptoms of brain and spinal cord tumors may vary depending on the location of the tumor and are the same for non-cancerous and cancerous tumors. Signs and symptoms appear when the tumor is large enough to affect brain or spinal cord function. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as brain and spinal cord tumors.

The signs or symptoms of brain tumors include:

• headache that may be worse in the morning or that gets worse with activity.
• seizures
• nausea and vomiting
• changes in personality, thinking, memory and behavior.
• difficulty speaking or understanding words.
• abnormal movements
• trouble walking
• weakness on 1 side of the body
• difficulty with fine motor skills
• trouble swallowing and eating.
• vision problems including blurred vision, double vision and loss of vision.
• hearing problems
• problems with balance
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• numbness in part of the body
• confusion
• coma

 

 

 

 

 

Colorectal cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages because the cancer is very small. Symptoms often appear once a tumor grows into surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as colorectal cancer.

See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms:

• diarrhea
• constipation
• stool (poop) that looks narrower than usual.
• feeling like the rectum is not completely empty after a bowel movement.
• bright or very dark red blood in the stool
• bleeding from the rectum
• gas, abdominal cramps and feeling bloated.
• pain or discomfort in the rectum.
• a lump in the abdomen or rectum
• fatigue and weakness
• anemia 

, which can cause fatigue and shortness of breath

• nausea and vomiting
• loss of appetite
• weight loss.
• a blockage in the intestine (called a bowel obstruction)
• swollen lymph nodes
• enlarged liver.
• jaundice
• a buildup of fluid in the abdomen (called ascites)
• pain in the abdomen, back, buttocks or legs
• breathing problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kidney cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. It is usually found on an ultrasound or x-ray done for another reason. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor grows into surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as kidney cancer.

See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms:

• blood in the urine (pee) (called hematuria) (most common)
• pain in the back and side of the abdomen.
• a lump that can be felt in the abdomen.
• swelling of the legs and ankles
• high blood pressure
• low red blood cell count (called anemia)
• fatigue
• night sweats
• weight loss.
• loss of appetite
• fever
• for men, a large swollen vein in the 

scrotum 

(called a varicocele)

 

Cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor gets bigger or grows deeper into the wall of the renal pelvis or ureter. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter.

See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms:

• blood in the urine (pee), which is called hematuria.
• back pain
• pain on your side just below the ribs (flank pain)
• burning or pain while urinating
• a need to urinate more often than usual (frequent urination)
• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• unexplained weight loss

 

 

 

Testicular cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor grows and causes changes in the body. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as testicular cancer.

See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms:

• painless lump in the testicle
• swelling so the testicle is larger than usual.
• pain or dull ache in the testicle or scrotum.
• feeling of heaviness in the scrotum or abdomen
• buildup of fluid in the scrotum
• pain in the back or abdomen
• breast soreness or growth (called gynecomastia)
• enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.
• trouble breathing or shortness of breath.
• cough, sometimes with blood (called hemoptysis)
• chest pain
• trouble swallowing
• swelling in the chest
• buildup of fluid around the lungs (called pleural effusion)
• weight loss.
• signs of puberty in boys, such as the voice getting deeper or growth of facial and body hair, at an earlier age than expected
• infertility
• headaches

 

 

 

 

 

Lung cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor grows and causes changes in the body, such as a cough or shortness of breath. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as lung cancer.

Many of the signs or symptoms for non–small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer are the same. See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms of both types of lung cancer:

• a cough that gets worse or doesn't go away.
• shortness of breath
• chest pain that you can always feel, and that gets worse with deep breathing or coughing.
• blood in mucus coughed up from the lungs.
• wheezing
• weight loss.
• fatigue
• hoarseness or other changes to your voice
• difficulty swallowing
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck or above the collarbone
• headache

 

 

Esophageal cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the cancer thickens the wall of the esophagus. Esophageal tumors' can also cause symptoms if they grow large enough to block the esophagus or the opening to the stomach, or if they grow into surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as esophageal cancer.

The most common symptom of esophageal cancer is having problems swallowing (dysphagia). Other signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer include:

• weight loss.
• painful swallowing
• pain in the throat, chest (behind the breastbone) or back
• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• bringing up undigested food
• hoarseness
• cough
• nausea or vomiting
• hiccups
• malaise

 

 

Breast cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear when the tumor grows large enough to be felt as a lump in the breast or when the cancer spreads to surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as breast cancer.

The most common symptom of ductal carcinoma is a firm or hard lump that feels very different from the rest of the breast. It may feel like it is attached to the skin or the surrounding breast tissue. The lump doesn’t get smaller or come and go with your period. It may be tender, but it’s usually not painful. (Pain is more often a symptom of a non-cancerous condition).

Lobular carcinoma often does not form a lump. It feels more like the tissue in the breast is getting thicker or harder.

Other symptoms of ductal and lobular breast cancer include:

• a lump in the armpit (called the axilla)
• changes in the shape or size of the breast
• changes to the nipple, such as a nipple that suddenly starts to point inward (called an inverted nipple)
• discharge that comes out of the nipple without squeezing it or that has blood in it

Late signs and symptoms occur as the cancer grows larger or spreads to other parts of the body, including other organs. Late symptoms of breast cancer include:

• bone pain
• weight loss
• nausea
• loss of appetite
• jaundice
• shortness of breath
• cough
• headache
• double vision
• muscle weakness

Inflammatory breast cancer and Paget disease of the breast cause different symptoms.

 

 

Prostate cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumour grows and causes changes in the body such as changes in bladder habits. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as prostate cancer.

The signs or symptoms of prostate cancer include:

• more frequent urination (pee) (called urinary frequency), especially at night.
• a strong or sudden urge to urinate (called urinary urgency)
• difficulty starting the flow of urine (straining)
• weak or slow urine stream
• interrupted urine stream (starts and stops)
• being unable to empty the bladder completely.
• having difficulty controlling the bladder (called incontinence), which can cause urine to leak and dribble.
• blood in the urine or 

semen

• burning or pain during urination
• discomfort or pain when sitting, caused by an enlarged prostate.
• painful ejaculation
• trouble getting an erection (called erectile dysfunction)
• pain or stiffness in back, hips or pelvis that doesn't go away
• fatigue

 

 

 

Multiple myeloma may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear once the tumor grows in the bone marrow or somewhere outside of the bone marrow. Signs and symptoms also may appear if the immunoglobulins (M-proteins) build up in organs like the kidney. Other health conditions can cause the same signs and symptoms as multiple myeloma. See your doctor if you have these signs and symptoms.

• bone pain related to bone fractures that occur most commonly in the back, front of the chest, ribs, hips or skull
• bone weakness, which can lead to osteoporosis (a condition where bones lose mass, or density, and the bone tissue breaks down)
• fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness and paleness caused by low red blood cell counts (called anemia )
• frequent infections, including pneumonia (an infection of the lung) related to low white blood cell counts (called neutropenia)
• fever (related to an infection)
• nosebleeds, bleeding gums, a lot of bleeding from minor cuts or scrapes or a lot of bruising caused by low platelet counts (called thrombocytopenia)
• higher than normal levels of protein in the blood or urine
• extreme thirst, a need to urinate often, dehydration, kidney problems including kidney failure, constipation, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weakness, drowsiness, confusion, nausea and vomiting or lethargy caused by high levels of calcium in the blood (called hypercalcemia)
• nervous system problems, including sudden and severe pain, numbness and tingling, muscle weakness, paralysis, confusion and dizziness – some of these symptoms may be related to spinal cord compression, which is a cancer-related emergency
• weight loss
• headaches, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, fatigue, oozing from cuts, blurred vision, bruising, symptoms of a stroke (weakness on one side of the body and slurred speech) caused by a thickening or stickiness of the blood (called hyper viscosity)
• weakness, shortness of breath, itching and swelling caused by kidney problems.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma are referred to as CRAB:

• high blood calcium level (hypercalcemia)
• kidney problems (renal insufficiency)
• anemia
• bone disease

 

 

 

Cervical cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Symptoms often appear once the tumor grows into surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as cervical cancer.

The signs or symptoms of cervical cancer include:

• abnormal vaginal bleeding including between periods, after menopause and after sexual intercourse.
• abnormal or increased amount of vaginal discharge
• foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• unusually long or heavy periods
• bleeding after a pelvic exam or vaginal douching
• pain during sexual intercourse.
• difficulty urinating
• difficulty having a bowel movement.
• leaking of urine or feces from the vagina
• pain in the pelvic area or lower back that may go down one or both legs
• leg swelling, often in one leg
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• shortness of breath
• coughing up blood
• chest or bone pain
• fatigue

 

 

 

Ovarian cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumor grows and causes changes in the body. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as ovarian cancer.

The signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

• bleeding from the vagina that isn’t normal (such as heavy or irregular bleeding, bleeding between periods), especially after menopause.
• frequent discharge from the vagina that is clear, white or colored with blood.
• a lump that can be felt in the pelvis or abdomen.
• bladder problems such as the need to urinate often and the urgent need to urinate.
• constipation
• changes to digestion such as feeling full after a small meal, loss of appetite, heartburn, gas, indigestion or nausea
• frequent feeling of pressure in the pelvis or abdomen
• fatigue
• pain in the legs, lower back, pelvis or abdomen
• pain when having sex.
• swelling of the abdomen
• weight loss
• buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites), around the lungs (pleural effusion) or in the legs (lymphedema)
• difficulty breathing

 

 

 

Penile cancer often causes symptoms at an early stage. Most often the first sign of penile cancer is a change in the skin of the penis. This can happen on the head (glans) of the penis or on the foreskin (in uncircumcised men). It can also occur on the shaft. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as penile cancer.

See your doctor if you have these signs or symptoms:

• any growth or sore on the penis
• any change in the color of the penis – the foreskin may have to be pulled back to see the discolored area.
• a lump or thickening of the skin on the penis.
• redness or irritation of the penis
• reddish or velvety rash
• small crusty bumps
• flat, bluish-brown growths
• foul-smelling discharge or bleeding from the penis or from underneath the foreskin
• swelling at the end of the penis
• a lump in the groin
• unexplained pain in the shaft or tip of the penis
• an area or sore that itches or burns.

 

 

Pancreatic

Pancreatic cancer starts in the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland in your upper abdomen behind your stomach. It helps digest food and regulate blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors' (PNETS) are an uncommon type of cancer that start in the neuroendocrine cells of the pancreas.  This cancer has different symptoms, treatments and causes than pancreatic cancer.  For more information on PNETS: Canadian Cancer Society

This information should not be used to diagnose yourself or in place of a doctor's care.

Reviewed August 2021

What are the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer often does not have any symptoms until the cancer is at an advanced stage.  This makes it hard to diagnose. People with pancreatic cancer may have one or more of these symptoms:

• Jaundice (when the whites of your eyes and your skin turn yellow).
• Pain in your upper abdomen and/or upper back.
• Loss of appetite.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Pale, greasy stools that may float in the toilet.
• You develop Type II diabetes.

If you have any signs or symptoms that you are worried about, please talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

 

 

 

Thyroid

The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system (glands in your body that make hormones). It uses iodine to make hormones that regulate your body's metabolism (how your body uses energy).

This information should not be used to diagnose yourself  or in place of a doctor's care.

Reviewed September 2021

Thyroid cancer is rare.

The thyroid is located at the base of your throat, below your voice box (larynx) and above your collar bones.

The thyroid is shaped like a butterfly, with one lobe on each side of the windpipe (trachea). The lobes are connected by a narrow band of tissue (the isthmus).  Each lobe is 4 - 6 cm (1.5 - 2.4 inches) long.

The thyroid makes the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).

Two parathyroid glands lie on the back of each lobe of the thyroid. These glands, along with C-cells in the thyroid, make calcitonin. Calcitonin controls calcium levels in your body.

What are the signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer?

• Painless lump or swelling in your neck.
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter). Your shirt collar may feel tighter than normal.
• Advanced stage thyroid cancer symptoms (from cancer spreading to surrounding tissues):
  • Difficulty breathing and swallowing.
  • Hoarseness (raspy voice).

If you have any signs or symptoms that you are worried about, please talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.