Nine cancer symptoms you should never ignore and how telling a doctor early could save your life

Early detection can often save lives — but the disease doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms at first, which is why noticing small changes matters

"Cancer doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms at first, which is why noticing small changes matters" says Cancer Nurse Kathryn Murphy Picture: iStock

For many of the 44,000 people in Ireland who are diagnosed with cancer every year, the outlook is more optimistic than ever. Survival rates for breast, bowel, prostate, testicular cancers and melanoma have improved significantly in recent years, thanks to national screening programmes such as BreastCheck, CervicalCheck, and BowelScreen, and the continual emergence of newer and better treatments.

Screening programmes have proven successful because positive outcomes remain highly dependent on early diagnosis. “Early detection saves lives,” says Kevin O’Hagan, cancer prevention manager at the Irish Cancer Society. “Survival rates are generally much higher in those where the cancer has not spread and is easier to treat.”