Health byte

Swelling signs of cancer

by Carl Lowe

Cancer can be a sneaky disease. Be alert for its unusual signs, or you may miss the opportunity to catch it before it becomes too difficult to cure.

1) Continual swelling in your neck can be a sign that a cancer known as lymphoma may be starting.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system. It can start when white blood cells called T cells or B cells, for reasons nobody knows, start behaving abnormally, reproducing uncontrollably and spreading abnormal cells throughout the body.

While swollen lymph glands in your neck can be a sign that you are suffering a throat infection, if the glands are swollen and painless, it could be a symptom of lymphoma. (In this case, pain is a good sign - painful glands usually show that the swelling is not linked to cancer.)

Although doctors have long known that swollen glands can indicate lymphoma, a study in England shows that this symptom is much more common than had been suspected.

2) Another cancer sign you should be wary of: A lump in your salivary gland along your jaw line.

Years ago I discovered a lump in my salivary gland that was small, wasn't visible to anyone but which I could feel when I rubbed my jaw.

When I decided to have the lump surgically removed after reading about its potential danger, my doctor wasn't enthusiastic. The operation necessary to take out part of a salivary gland is pretty drastic. My surgery entailed having a section of my face peeled back from the ear to the jaw to get to the gland without endangering the nerves in my face.

But after the lump was removed, my surgeon said I had been right to be worried. The growth he took out was not yet cancerous, but he admitted it had been unusual enough to cause alarm.

If you suffer a symptom you think might be cancer, don't take a chance. Get it checked out as soon as possible. Don't wait until it's too late.

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