Signs and symptoms of cancer

Any unexplained bleeding should be checked with your GP. This can include:

• blood in your pee (urine), poo (stools), spit or vomit
• coughing up blood
• bruises when you have not hurt yourself
• vaginal bleeding between periods, after sex or after the menopause.
• blood in your semen.

If you notice a new or unexplained lump or swelling anywhere on your body, talk to your GP. It can be useful to tell them:

• how long it has been there
• if it is getting bigger
• if it is painful or uncomfortable.

Tell your GP if you have pain anywhere in your body and you do not know what is causing it. It is important to tell your GP if the pain continues and does not show signs of getting better. Also tell them if you have pain that has changed in any way.

Tell your GP if you have ongoing, severe tiredness for no obvious reason.

It is normal to have a high temperature (fever) when you have an infection. You may also have sweats and hot flushes if you are going through the menopause.

But tell your GP if you have infections or unexplained fevers that:

• last a long time
• keep coming back
• cause regular heavy sweating, enough to soak your bedclothes, especially at night.

Tell your GP if you are losing weight:

• without trying to
• and have not changed your diet or how much physical activity you do.

Talk to your GP if you have any of the following:

• A sore or ulcer in your mouth that lasts longer than 3 weeks, or you develop red or white patches in your mouth. You can also talk to your dentist about these symptoms.
• A hoarse voice that does not get better.
• Difficulty swallowing or chewing, or a feeling that something is stuck in your throat.

Tell your GP if you:

• do not feel like eating as much as you normally do and this feeling continues
• feel full quickly when you eat, and this feeling continues
• get indigestion or heartburn most days, or if it is very painful or getting worse.

Lots of things can cause bowel changes, including a change in your diet. But they can sometimes be a symptom of bowel cancer.

If you have any of the following ongoing changes in when and how you poo (empty your bowels), tell your GP:

• loose or runny poo (diarrhoea)
• hard poo (constipation)
• needing to poo (empty your bowels) more often than usual
• changes to the usual routine of when you need to poo
• changes to the size or amount of poo when you go
• blood in your poo, on the toilet paper or in the toilet. 

Problems peeing (passing urine) can be caused by many conditions, including some cancers. They can sometimes be a symptom of bladder or prostate cancer.

Talk to your GP if you have:

• pain when you pee
• blood in you pee
• a weak flow, or you need to strain to start peeing
• the need to pee more often than usual
• the need to pee more urgently.

Breathing or chest problems are common and can be caused by many things. Sometimes they can be a sign of lung cancer. Tell your GP if you:

• have a cough that is not getting better or is getting worse
• feel out of breath for no reason
• have breathlessness that is getting worse
• have a chest infection that does not get better or that keeps recurring
• cough up blood.

Tell your GP if you have unexplained skin changes, such as:

• an unexplained rash
• an itch that will not go away
• yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
• a new or changing mole.

Most sores heal very quickly. If you have a sore or ulcer anywhere on your skin that does not heal after 3 weeks, ask your GP to check it.

If you have headaches that are getting worse or are different to the headaches you usually get, tell your GP. This is especially important if: 

• your headaches wake you up at night
• your headaches are worse in the morning
• you also feel sick
• you notice a change in your eyesight.

A lump in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. But you should also tell your GP if you notice any other changes to the look or feel of your breast, chest, nipple or armpit.

If you have any changes in how your penis and testicles feel or work, talk to your GP or local sexual health service. Changes include:

• a lump or sore on the penis
• a swelling or a lump in a testicle
• a swelling or lump in the groin (where the leg joins to the body)
• a dull ache, pain or heaviness in the scrotum
• problems getting an erection
• pain or bleeding when you ejaculate (come).

If you notice any changes in your vulva or vagina, talk to your GP or local sexual health service. Changes include:

• bleeding after the menopause
• a lump, swelling or sore in the vulva or vagina
• a swelling or lump in the groin (where the leg joins to the body)
• itching, burning or soreness in the vulva or vagina
• thick or raised red, white or dark patches of skin of the vulva
• a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour
• unusual vaginal discharge, such as watery, blood-stained or smelly discharge
• heavier or more painful periods than usual
• bleeding between periods, after sex.

Below is a sample of the sources used in our signs and symptoms information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk

NICE. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral. NICE Guideline [NG12] Available from www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng12.

NCI. Symptoms of cancer. Available from www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/symptoms.

NHS. Signs and symptoms – cancer. Available from www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/symptoms.

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by members of Macmillan’s Centre of Clinical Expertise.

Our cancer information has been awarded the PIF TICK. Created by the Patient Information Forum, this quality mark shows we meet PIF’s 10 criteria for trustworthy health information.