Did You Know? 5 Types of Silent Cancer You Should Know
17 December 2021
Many leading cancers have no clear-cut symptoms in their earliest stages. These five silent cancers may present symptoms that you don’t recognise as something serious enough to get yourself checked but early cancer detection increases the chances for successful treatments. So let’s get to know them better here.
| Pancreatic Cancer is quite rare comprising only 2.3% of all cancers. |
| Liver Cancer is the eighth most common cancer comprising 3.5% of all cancers. |
| Ovarian Cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women comprising 3.1% of all cancers. |
| Cervical Cancer is the third most common cancer in women comprising 3.5% of all cancers. |
| Colon Cancer i s the second most common cancer comprising 13.5% of all cancers. |
Statistics in Malaysia
Liver Cancer
How does it develop?
Cancer that spreads to the liver (called metastatic liver cancer) is more common than cancer that begins in the liver cells itself (called primary liver cancer). The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main liver cell (hepatocyte).
Signs and symptoms:
- Abdominal swelling
- General weakness and fatigue
- Losing weight without trying
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Upper abdominal pain
- White, chalky stools
- Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
What can you do?
Take screening tests such as blood tests for a substance called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which may be produced by cancer cells, or have imaging tests like an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI.
Who should pay extra attention?
Those who consume alcohol excessively, have diabetes, have cirrhosis of the liver and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and if you have a chronic infection of hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Pancreatic Cancer
How does it develop?
The most common type of cancer that forms in the pancreas begins in the cells that line the ducts which carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer often goes undetected until it’s advanced.
Signs and symptoms:
- Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
- Dark-coloured urine
- Fatigue
- Itchy skin
- Light-coloured stools
- Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
- Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
What can you do?
A doctor may perform an ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, PET scans, blood test on pancreatic tumour marker, and biopsy to diagnose pancreatic cancer.
Who should pay extra attention?
Those who smoke, and those with rare inherited genetic disorders.
Ovarian Cancer
How does it develop?
In its early stages, ovarian cancer usually has no specific symptoms. This cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. It’s much easier to treat ovarian cancer when diagnosed in the early stages.
Signs and symptoms:
- Abdominal bloating or swelling
- A frequent need to urinate
- Changes in bowel habits
- Discomfort in the pelvis area
- Quickly feeling full when eating
- Unexplained weight loss
What can you do?
See a doctor when you have symptoms and the doctor may perform a pelvic exam and a transvaginal ultrasound for further assessment.
Who should pay extra attention?
Women of reproductive ages and with family history.
Cervical Cancer
How does it develop?
It is a result of a change in cell DNA caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV is a common virus that can be passed on through sexual contact. Although most HPV infections do not lead to cancer, certain types of HPV infections commonly cause genital warts or common warts. There are more than 100 types of HPVs, of which at least 14 are cancercausing (also known as high risk types).
Signs and symptoms:
- Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse
- Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause
- Increased vaginal discharge with foul odour
What can you do?
Take screening tests such as pap smear and HPV DNA test.
Who should pay extra attention?
Girls and women who are sexually active. HPV vaccination is important in preventing cervical cancer.
Colon Cancer
How does it develop?
Might be present without any signs or symptoms as it develops from polyps (abnormal tissue growths). It’s important to find and remove polyps to prevent them from growing into cancers.
Signs and symptoms:
- A change in bowel habits, including diarrhoea, constipation or consistency of your stool
- A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely
- Persistent abdominal discomfort such as cramps, gas or pain
- Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness or fatigue
What can you do?
Take screening tests such as stool tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and computerised tomography (CT) colonography.
Who should pay extra attention?
Those who are 50 years old and above, and with personal or family history of cancer.
