Cancer

Overview

Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs.

Cancer sometimes begins in one part of the body before spreading to other areas. This process is known as metastasis.

1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. In the UK, the 4 most common types of cancer are:

There are more than 200 different types of cancer, and each is diagnosed and treated in a particular way. You can find links on this page to information about other types of cancer.

Spotting signs of cancer

Changes to your body's normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms can sometimes be an early sign of cancer.

Symptoms that need to be checked by a doctor include:

a lump that suddenly appears on your body
unexplained bleeding
changes to your bowel habits

But in many cases your symptoms will not be related to cancer and will be caused by other, non-cancerous health conditions.

Read more about the signs and symptoms of cancer.

Reducing your risk of cancer

Making some simple changes to your lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer.

For example:

Find out more about how a healthy lifestyle reduces your chances of developing cancer on the Macmillan Cancer Support website

Cancer treatment

Surgery is the first treatment to try for most types of cancer, as solid tumours can usually be surgically removed.

2 other commonly used treatment methods are:

chemotherapy - powerful cancer-killing medicines
radiotherapy - the controlled use of high-energy X-rays

Cancer services

Other cancer pages on the NHS website

The Health A-Z covers many different types of cancer:

Signs and symptoms of Cancer

It's important to be aware of any new or worrying symptoms.

Although it's unlikely to be cancer, it's important to speak to a GP so they can investigate. Finding cancer early means it's easier to treat.

If your GP suspects cancer, they'll refer you to a specialist - usually within 2 weeks.

Coughing, chest pain and breathlessness

Speak to a GP if you've had a cough for 3 weeks or more.

Symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain may also be a sign of a condition such as pneumonia. Speak to a GP straight away if you have these types of symptoms.

Changes in bowel habits

Speak to a GP if you've noticed changes in your usual bowel habits and it's lasted for 3 weeks or more.

The type of changes to look out for include:

tummy discomfort
blood in your poo
diarrhoea or constipation for no obvious reason
a feeling of not having fully emptied your bowels after going to the toilet
pain in your stomach or bottom (anus)
your poo is loose, pale or looks greasy

Bloating

Speak to a GP if you've had bloating for 3 weeks or more.

Bleeding

You should also speak to a GP if you have any unexplained bleeding, such as:

blood in your urine
vaginal bleeding between periods
vaginal bleeding a year or more after the menopause (postmenopausal bleeding)
bleeding from your bottom
blood when you cough
blood in your vomit

Lumps

Speak to a GP if you notice a lump in your breast or if you have a lump that's noticeably increasing in size elsewhere on your body.

It's important to regularly check your breasts, underarms, groin and testicles for any new lumps or changes.

Moles

Speak to a GP if you have a mole that:

changes shape or looks uneven
changes colour, gets darker or has more than 2 colours
starts itching, crusting, flaking or bleeding
gets larger or more raised from the skin

Any of these changes mean there's a chance you have melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer.

Unexplained weight loss

You should also speak to a GP if you've lost a lot of weight over the last couple of months that cannot be explained by changes to your diet, exercise or stress.

Read about unintentional weight loss.

Tummy or back pain

Speak to a GP if you have pain anywhere in your tummy or back and you're not sure what's causing it. This includes a dull pain that's always there or a sharp pain that comes and goes.

Indigestion and heartburn

Some cancers can give you indigestion or heartburn and acid reflux. This can feel like burning in your chest (heartburn) and make you burp or hiccup more than usual.

Speak to a GP if you get any of these symptoms regularly and are not sure why you're getting them.

Itchy or yellow skin

Speak to a GP if your skin is itchy, and your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice). Your pee may also look darker than usual.

Feeling tired and unwell

With some cancers the symptoms can be harder to notice. It's important to speak to a GP if you think something is not right, or you keep feeling tired and unwell and you're not sure why.

Information:

People at higher risk

It's particularly important to look out for cancer symptoms if:

you have been diagnosed with a condition that means you're at higher risk of getting cancer
2 or more of your close relatives (such as a parent, brother or sister) have had cancer

Search for a cancer-related support group or organisation

View an A to Z Directory of cancer-related support groups or organisations