Strategy #6: Learn Your Risks
Knowing your health risks and being aware of changes in your body may help you prevent cancer or help your health care provider detect it at an early stage. Early detection increases your chances of a cure.
To help assess the role heredity may play in your risk factors, research the health histories of family members. Start by talking to immediate relatives (parents, siblings and children) to find out if any of them have had a serious illness and at what age it occurred. It would also be helpful to find out the health histories of your grandparents, aunts, uncles and close cousins. If you see a pattern of disease occurring at early ages, you may wish to schedule a visit with your health care provider.
You also need to be aware of changes in your body that could signal illness. While signs and symptoms are not always obvious, the following warning signs can help you recognize some early indicators:
Change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that doesn’t heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Thickening or a lump in your breast, testicles or elsewhere
Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
Obvious change on your skin, or in a wart or mole
Nagging cough or hoarseness
Unexplained weight loss