Silent cancers: here’s what you need to know when there are no obvious symptoms

By Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

The recent revelations about the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis highlight a crucial aspect of cancer detection – the disease’s sometimes silent nature.

Silent cancers are those without noticeable symptoms. They pose a unique challenge in early detection and treatment.

Contrary to common perception, cancer does not always announce its presence through overt symptoms or obvious signs. Many people receive a cancer diagnosis incidentally, when it’s found during routine medical examinations or investigations for unrelated health concerns – as seems to be the case for both the princess and King Charles III.

While even silent cancers can sometimes be aggressive and advance rapidly, they can also remain dormant for years or even decades. Some prostate, breast and thyroid cancers, for example, often evolve slowly without obvious symptoms or spreading beyond the original area.

Research suggests that some of these cancers are overtreated. Sometimes patients are best left alone or treated much more gently, perhaps even without medical intervention, using a “watch and wait” strategy. This approach may be taken with prostate cancer in the elderly, for example.

The importance of early diagnosis

Whatever the cancer, it’s always important to get an early diagnosis though – and for silent cancers, this is obviously a challenge.

Some cancer symptoms can be vague and easily mistaken for benign ailments. Fatigue, unexplained weight loss and persistent pain are among the nonspecific symptoms that may signal an underlying malignancy. But such symptoms can be misinterpreted or easily dismissed, which contributes to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

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Fortunately, in many countries including the UK, we have screening tests for diseases like breast or colon cancer, to increase early diagnoses.

Early diagnosis is a key factor for successful cancer treatment. Detecting cancer in its silent phase offers a window of opportunity for early intervention and improved outcomes. The discovery of asymptomatic cancers through diagnostic imaging or screening tests underscores the importance of these proactive healthcare measures.

Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/silent-cancers-heres-what-you-need-to-know-when-there-are-no-obvious-symptoms-226536