40 Unusual early signs of cancer You Shouldn’t Ignore

40 Unusual early signs of cancer You Shouldn’t ignore. A cancer diagnosis can be incredibly frightening. Life can seem perfectly normal one moment, and then everything shifts in an instant. The earlier it’s caught, the better the outcome usually is. Here, people share the unusual or unexpected signs that prompted them to seek medical attention—signs that ultimately led to a cancer diagnosis.

40 Unusual Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore — They Might Be Early Signs of Cancer

To be clear, not all of these experiences were classic cancer symptoms. Rather, they were subtle changes or odd sensations that caught the person’s attention and pushed them to see a doctor. These personal stories reflect the many unique ways cancer can first show itself.

It Wasn’t a Blocked Gland After All

40 Unusual early signs of cancer you shouldn’t ignore.

Shortly after having her second child, my sister noticed a small, painful lump in her breast. The doctor initially diagnosed it as a blocked mammary gland. When it didn’t go away after a couple of weeks, the doctor gave the same diagnosis again. Months later, still no improvement, so she pushed for a second opinion. That’s when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy followed by months of tough radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, it progressed to stage 4. She’s been stable for a few years but now the cancer is spreading again, and we’re uncertain how much time she has left. We’re trying to stay as positive as possible.– @kidgorgeous19

When a Headache Signals Something More

My husband, who is now 33, was diagnosed with inoperable glioblastoma—the most aggressive form of brain cancer—in January 2019 when he was 31. He first went for a checkup because of a persistent headache that didn’t improve with paracetamol and rest. The tumors were discovered after an MRI scan.” – @syarkbait

More Than Just Bloating or Allergies

My head and neck area became very swollen. At first, I thought I was just gaining weight, so I exercised more and ate better—but that didn’t help. I went to a local clinic where they suspected an allergic reaction and gave me steroids, but those didn’t work either. What finally pushed me to go to the emergency room was the appearance of unexplained bruises on my chest. It turned out I had a large tumor in my chest that had grown around my heart and was compressing the superior vena cava, blocking blood flow from my head. Definitely not good!” -@eskimopsy212

When a Random Lump Meant More

Interestingly, the lump they initially found was unrelated. “That lump is harmless—a lipoma,” they said. But then they discovered another lump in the corner of the x-ray that needed a biopsy.” -@something_crass

The Stroke That Couldn’t Be Ignored

My mum had a similar experience. After a stroke, she underwent many scans, and one happened to catch the edge of something—a tennis ball-sized mass in her chest. It was surprising, but fortunately, it turned out to be nothing serious. Still, it was wild that she had no idea it was there.” -@mediumbeansprout

Signs of Excessive Menstrual Flow

“I had extremely heavy periods lasting 10 days or more. I got an IUD to help control the bleeding, but I actually hemorrhaged so badly that the IUD was expelled. It turned out I had endometrial cancer with a large tumor in my uterus. Ladies, it’s important to know that needing both a tampon and pad at the same time isn’t normal. Changing them every 10 minutes—or even every hour—is also a warning sign. For reference, an average period is about 2-3 tablespoons of blood. Sorry if that’s TMI. -@Icewaterforall

This Blew My Mind

On Christmas Eve 2018, my dad suddenly lost the ability to speak, except for repeating the phrase, “this is crazy.” We called paramedics, thinking he’d had a stroke. At the hospital, imaging revealed a brain tumor on the outer edge of his brain. The swelling triggered a seizure, and he was transferred to a larger hospital. Since brain cancer is usually secondary to another cancer, they did full-body scans. Luckily, it was the only tumor. He underwent a craniotomy and five rounds of high-dose inpatient chemotherapy, and now he’s been in remission for a year!” -@ashliek

The Pet That Sensed Something Was Wrong

My cat has always liked to lie on me and “knead” different parts of my body with her paws. For seven years, it was random spots, but for about six months, she started focusing on one specific area on my chest. At first, I thought she just wanted to be closer to my face, but after a few months, I noticed that spot had become very tender. Then I found a small lump there. Because I’m relatively young, it took me a couple of months to convince a doctor that it might be serious. Eventually, I got tested and discovered a large tumor in that spot, along with others in different areas. -@plum_awe

Breastbone Ache

I had a constant pain in the center of my sternum. Doctors initially thought it was costochondritis, which is basically inflammation of a joint. I stopped working out and lifting heavy weights for three months, but the pain didn’t improve. Later, I began experiencing night sweats and random aches. After fracturing my hip, I had an MRI and biopsy, which led to a diagnosis of stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I underwent chemotherapy and have been in remission for five years.-@thedancingwireless

Unable to Speak

My dad had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It began with a tickle in his throat, and then he lost his voice—he could barely whisper. He thought it was just a bad cold. After about five weeks, we finally convinced him to go to the hospital—he was a stubborn guy. It turned out a large tumor was pressing on his vocal cords, causing his voice loss and trouble swallowing. He underwent chemotherapy and went into remission for seven years before the cancer returned. He then had more chemotherapy and radiation. Later, it came back in his pancreas, causing abdominal pain and other issues that he kept from us. -@velvetroses

Cough That Won’t Quit

When my sister was 21, she had stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and her only symptom was a persistent cough. Doctors kept diagnosing it as pneumonia or bronchitis and just gave her cough syrup and antibiotics. After six months, my mom convinced her to visit a walk-in clinic and insist on a chest x-ray. The next day, she was admitted to our city’s Cancer Centre for aggressive chemotherapy. She had to stay in the ICU during treatment because the tumor was pressing on the tissue near her heart, and they worried about bleeding as the tumor shrank. It’ll be 20 years next February, and she’s been cancer-free ever since—married with three kids, and you’d never guess she was ever sick. She was very lucky, but now I get paranoid whenever I have a cough.” -@Cdnteacher92

Odd Conduct

My dad started behaving oddly—looking a bit unkempt and repeating the same stories. At 86, some of that seemed normal. But he was also swerving while driving and called me one day to take him to his doctor. In short, he was diagnosed with stage 4 GBM, a type of brain cancer. He had surgery and was okay for a few months but passed away shortly after. The silver lining was that he experienced no pain and didn’t suffer.” -@turkourjurbs

Quick Weight Reduction

“My mom was diagnosed with chronic Myeloid Leukemia, but her only noticeable sign was rapid weight loss. She was actually happy at first, thinking her diet was finally paying off. The doctors discovered the illness through routine blood tests. She battled the disease for six months and sadly passed away this April. -@cmcindoe130

Invisible Red Flag

I was 17, gearing up for spring break in 2010. I was on the phone with my boyfriend, planning a trip to the zoo with his brothers in another city. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I noticed a large translucent orange blind spot in my vision. Behind it, dark shapes appeared, but everything was blurry.
At first, I thought I’d just visit the eye doctor the next day. But my sister, who works at our local cancer center, urged me to go straight to the hospital—warning that any sudden vision changes can be very serious.
After 36 hours of emergency room waits and visits to specialists, they admitted me to the eye ward for a bacterial infection. Then came a routine blood test.
About an hour later, as I was getting ready for bed, a doctor and nurse entered the room. The nurse held a box of tissues. The doctor said, “Your blood is leukemic.” I asked, “Can I treat that?” but he was vague and unclear. I was 17, alone in the hospital—my family had left—and I had no clue what cancer meant.
I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and started chemotherapy that very night after being transferred to a different hospital. The next morning, they performed a bone marrow biopsy and sent samples to a genetic lab in another province. When the results came back, my diagnosis changed to Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) in Blast Phase Crisis—the final stage—caused by the Philadelphia Chromosome, where chromosomes 9 and 22 swap places, mutating my red blood cells.
They told me I was the youngest person in the world with this. CML usually progresses slowly, and the final stage is typically seen in people around 65 years old. This change shortened my timeline drastically—from 6-12 months untreated to only 1-3 months without a stem cell or bone marrow transplant.
All of this happened because of blood clots forming throughout my body due to abnormal red blood cell shapes. The clot in my eye was the first visible sign, showing up as that strange orange blind spot-@2468timetoinebriate

Twitching Attacks

“I started having seizures during the night with no family history of seizures. After getting my head scanned, doctors initially thought it was a benign tumor. It turned out to be an Anaplastic Astrocytoma, diagnosed just two months before my 22nd birthday.”-@Gigginold

A Body Out of Sync

“My brother was just 11 when he began showing symptoms. He started losing a lot of weight, and when he played soccer, it seemed like he was running through mud and couldn’t keep up with the others. Our parents took him to the pediatrician, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then one morning, he woke up and couldn’t stop vomiting. When he tried to run to the bathroom, he kept bumping into the door frame and couldn’t walk straight. He said the lights were giving him a headache. We rushed him to the emergency room, where they discovered he had a brain tumor and performed emergency surgery the very next day. We were incredibly fortunate they chose to do a CAT scan, which isn’t usually done on children in the ER. After two brain surgeries and a year and a half of chemotherapy, he is now in remission!@malsteve

A Shift in How It Felt

“I’m a testicular cancer survivor. One day, I noticed a dull pain in my right testicle but didn’t think much of it. After taking a shower, I felt that my testicle wasn’t smooth—it just felt different. I decided to see my doctor to have it checked. Although he didn’t think anything was wrong during the exam, he ordered an ultrasound just to be safe. After the ultrasound, they didn’t give me the results right away but asked me to come back for another one. The next day, I was told to go to the hospital to see a urologist. Within minutes of meeting him, he diagnosed me with testicular cancer and said I’d have surgery that night. Everything happened so quickly. Thankfully, I caught it early. Now, I always encourage everyone to check themselves regularly and know what’s normal.”-@TheWorldEndsTonight

The Unexpected Back Pop

I felt a sudden pop in my back, which turned out to be a vertebra breaking. The pain was intense, and later I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. That was five years ago, and today I’m happy to say I’m in remission.-@International37

What Blood in Urine Could Mean

Last year in March 2019, I’m a 35-year-old male, woke up to find my urine was thick, pure blood with small clots. Panic set in, and soon the pain became unbearable, causing me to vomit. After a day in the hospital with scans and tests, the doctors told me to call my parents—that’s when I knew the news would be serious. It turned out I had kidney cancer. They removed my right kidney, and thankfully, no further treatment was necessary. Now, I’m living my best life. If the tumor hadn’t started bleeding, I might have found out much later—possibly too late.@actuallyguy

A Gray Spot That Changed Everything

When I was around 12 years old, I noticed a gray spot in my left eye and went to see an eye doctor. It turned out to be retinoblastoma—a type of eye cancer. Within a week, my eye was removed, and I began chemotherapy. I now have a glass eye, which had to be replaced every two years until I turned 16.@spot9707

It Started with a Lump

Back in middle school, I was part of the drum line, and we had this habit of stinging each other with drumsticks. One kid hit me hard on the shoulder blade, which led to an irritated growth. The doctor said it wouldn’t go away on its own and needed to be removed. During the surgery, my mom noticed another bump on my back and asked the surgeon if it was the same kind of thing. He said no and thought it was nothing to worry about—but my mom insisted it be removed just to be safe. Thankfully, he agreed.
That second spot got infected after the biopsy, and I was prescribed antibiotics—unaware that I was allergic to them, which led to a bad reaction. Then, I got called in for a follow-up appointment, which just so happened to fall on my 14th birthday. The surgeon didn’t even look at me or say happy birthday—he just read the results, said “sorry,” and walked out. It turned out to be stage 4 malignant melanoma.@Woodenjoe92

Putting It Off Nearly Changed Everything

I was diagnosed at 43. For two years, my gynecologist urged me to get a mammogram since I had turned 40. But being very small-chested, I honestly thought it was pointless. In February 2013, I finally promised I’d get the mammogram before my next annual visit. A year later, in February 2014, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
There were no symptoms, no family history—nothing to suggest anything was wrong. Even up to the biopsy results, I believed the whole process was just a waste of time and money. But the results came back positive.@Austnrock

Common Reasons Behind Burning Sensations

I have an appointment on Tuesday to get checked out. Breast cancer runs in my family—my dad’s mom had it. About two and a half weeks ago, I started feeling a burning sensation under my breast. Last week, I discovered a small, hard lump about the size of the tip of my thumb… along with some other changes.@qwasmymoto

When a Lump Appears Out of Nowhere

My dad went to the ER after a large bump suddenly appeared on his neck overnight. At first, he was given medication for a severe rash, but when that didn’t help, he returned for further evaluation. Everyone, including the doctors, initially thought it was an allergic reaction or some kind of rash. However, after more tests, they discovered he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a six-inch mass in his chest.
It’s been over a year since then. He completed his treatment, and the cancer has shown no signs of returning.@FireyEcho

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Double Vision

40 Unusual early signs of cancer you shouldn’t ignore. I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor after experiencing double vision and severe headaches. I’ve also had a mild hand tremor for many years. Eleven years ago, I underwent radiotherapy for the brain tumor. Recently, I was diagnosed with a low-grade parotid cancer—a lump on my neck—and I’m about to start radiotherapy for that as well.@kishenoy

Tips for Overcoming Word-Finding Issues

My brother began forgetting words, even when looking directly at an object—he couldn’t say the name but could write it or describe its parts, like shoelaces. Within just three weeks, he also lost peripheral vision, all before he could see his primary doctor. In February, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma and sadly passed away in June.@goddessgaga

Symptoms That Mimic IBS But Aren’t

What I thought was IBS turned out to be a tumor that had hemorrhaged. I was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer. I fought hard and beat it, but now it has spread to my liver and is too large to operate on. Despite everything, I’m living my best life while I can!@FlamingoRock

Signs Behind Nipple Pulling In and What to Do

My dad noticed his nipple pulling in (inverted nipples) for several months but didn’t tell anyone at first. He now thinks it might have been about a year before he finally mentioned it to my mom, who immediately insisted he see a doctor. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and radiation, he is now in remission.@Bagarang_1

When a Small Amount of Blood in Stool Signals a Problem

I went to my GP because I noticed blood in my stool, but they didn’t do any examinations and assumed it was just a fissure from straining. I also had side pain and felt very fatigued, but again, no thorough investigation was done. Since I’m young (27) and have no family history, the doctors told me it probably wasn’t serious.
One day at work, I had severe abdominal pain, and my manager noticed I looked pale. I went to A&E and was admitted overnight. That’s when I was diagnosed with a rare stage IV bowel cancer that had already spread to other parts of my body.
A week after the diagnosis, I had surgery to remove a large part of my colon and am now undergoing chemotherapy. When I tried to raise concerns about my GP’s lack of action, they removed my review from the NHS Choices website.@T1M0rtal

Bleeding During Intercourse: Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

During sex, I experienced sudden bleeding several times, even though it wasn’t close to my period and there was no pain. I later learned that this can be a warning sign of cervical cancer. After three surgeries, my cervix—the opening of the uterus—was gradually removed. The doctors tried to preserve as much as possible because not having a cervix can make pregnancy and carrying a baby to term more difficult, but the cancer kept coming back. I hope this is the end of it now.@TheDanishThede

Abdominal Pain That Can’t Be Ignored: What You Need to Know

At age 32, I woke up in the middle of the night with unbearable stomach pain. Within 24 hours, doctors discovered a 15cm cyst on my right ovary. Six weeks later, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Just 20 days after that, I underwent a complete hysterectomy. Now at 34, I’m in menopause, cured, and feel incredibly lucky. Thank you, NHS.@RollerDerbyWhore

When a Runny Nose Wasn’t Just a Cold

My father had always struggled with allergies, but his runny nose became so severe that he visited multiple doctors trying to find an answer. It wasn’t until the seventh doctor that he was referred for a spinal tap to check if the runny nose was actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.
The night after the procedure, he nearly lost his life due to meningitis. He spent several days in the hospital, with uncertainty over whether the infection was viral or bacterial. Some days, we had to wear full protective gear, while other days we could be close to him without masks. Thankfully, he recovered, and we awaited further test results.
The tests confirmed it was a CSF leak, and surgery was scheduled immediately. While my mother and I waited to see him after the operation, the doctor informed us she found a small growth near his pituitary gland during surgery. She had taken a sample for testing. When the lab results came back, we learned he had chordoma—a rare type of brain cancer.–@solis_eclipsm

Ignoring a Lump Because It’s Not Painful Can Be Risky

One day, while turning my head, I spotted a large lump on my neck in the mirror. It wasn’t painful, so I hadn’t realized it was there before. The next day, I visited my doctor and was diagnosed with lymphoma. That was six years ago, and today I’m officially considered cured.-@whatwouldbuddhado

More Than Just a Strain: My Cancer Diagnosis

A friend of mine injured her back while camping but couldn’t remember exactly how or when it happened. She dealt with the pain for a month, and finally after Thanksgiving, she decided to see a doctor for help. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away just 45 days later.
About ten years later, my sister’s boyfriend also pulled his back. Since he worked in pool and pest control, he thought he had just lifted something incorrectly. After a few weeks of ongoing pain, I reminded my sister about our friend’s story and the link to pancreatic cancer. She convinced him to get checked out. Sadly, he passed away less than three months after his diagnosis.-@JohnnyBrillcream

Boredom Self-Test

I have a good friend who’s a medical student. During the COVID lockdown, she decided to stay with her parents to avoid being alone. Naturally, she got bored. Her dad is the head physician in the internal medicine department at a small hospital in Germany. So, she persuaded him to let her practice some ultrasound scans at the hospital, and her mom joined them, also bored.
While practicing, she scanned her mom’s abdomen and noticed a small shadow where there shouldn’t have been one. She showed it to her dad, who at first joked about her overreacting but then suddenly grew serious.
Fast forward two weeks — her mom had part of her pancreas removed, and it turned out the tissue was a precursor to a tumor. Thankfully, she’s doing well now and doesn’t need any further treatment. -@xelod

Unexplained Stomach Pressure: Don’t Ignore This Sign

Strangely enough, my mom was out camping for her birthday when she suddenly felt a severe, tightening sensation around her midsection. The pain worsened whenever she ate. It became so intense that they cut the trip short and left the national forest to head home. She saw a doctor that Monday, and the diagnosis came quickly: pancreatic cancer. She passed away just five and a half months later.
It’s a truly brutal disease. I still miss her every single day. But in a way, I believe she helped me find the strength to get through my own cancer treatment years later. The way she faced her illness—with calm strength and courage, even knowing the outcome—was unforgettable. If there’s a lesson in this, it might just be: don’t go camping.-@harrySUblime

Unexpected Discharge — A Warning Sign

My best friend was around 35 when she suddenly began experiencing a dramatic increase in vaginal discharge — far more than what was normal for her. It was enough that she had to start wearing pads or liners outside of her period. I’m not sure if there were other changes, but it was clearly different enough that she brought it up with her gynecologist.
Unfortunately, her concerns were dismissed. The doctor told her it was just hormonal changes from approaching menopause and that it was nothing to worry about — even accusing her of being a hypochondriac. She hadn’t been very happy with that doctor to begin with, so when she suspected she might be pregnant later on, she booked an appointment with a new ob/gyn who had come highly recommended.
She ended up getting her period a couple of days before the appointment but decided to go anyway. During the pelvic exam, the new doctor discovered a large mass and was furious when he learned she’d been experiencing symptoms for months that the previous doctor had ignored. That kind of discharge, it turns out, is a known symptom of ovarian cancer.
She was diagnosed with stage 3 aggressive ovarian cancer. After surgery to remove the affected ovary and six months of intensive chemotherapy, she later had a hysterectomy. Amazingly, before that, she gave birth to miracle babies she never thought she’d have after everything she went through.-@klaudea17

A Sharp Pain With a Hidden Cause

When I was 12, I woke up in excruciating pain — screaming and crying before I eventually passed out. It felt like a knife was twisting deep into my side. Since I had already battled cancer once before, my family didn’t take any chances. After school, they took me for an MRI. That scan revealed a tumor in my stomach, and I was rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery to have it removed.@monie_25

Symptoms That Slowly Revealed the Truth

Many of the patients I’ve encountered started out with strange, slowly developing symptoms that they either dismissed or assumed were just part of their usual baseline. Things like unexplained fatigue without any lifestyle changes, unexpected weight loss they brushed off with “I just don’t have much of an appetite,” persistent headaches, or changes in bowel habits like narrow stools or the presence of blood.
The key takeaway? Don’t overlook ongoing or unusual symptoms — make sure to talk to your doctor.-@DrSwol

The Diagnosis Came Without Symptoms

I had no symptoms at all. At 42, I went for my very first routine mammogram and had absolutely no signs of anything wrong. The scan detected an aggressive early-stage breast cancer linked to the ATM gene, which is more common in people with Norwegian ancestry—something I only have a tiny bit of. There was no family history of cancer, breast or otherwise, aside from some occasional skin damage.
If I’d had the mammogram just two weeks earlier, it wouldn’t have shown anything. I likely would have waited another year, and by then, the cancer might have spread and become fatal.– Reddit

What You Should Take Away

All of these stories serve as important reminders: if you notice something unusual with your body, don’t hesitate—get it checked. Never skip your regular health check-ups. While it may turn out to be nothing, sometimes it could be an early sign of cancer or another serious condition. Be your own advocate and prioritize your health.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns or medications. Never ignore or delay professional advice because of something you’ve read here.