I’m a Cancer Survivor, and Here Are the First Symptoms I Didn’t Pay Attention To

Early detection can boost cancer survival rates by up to 99%, depending on the type. The catch? The first signs may be very vague and subtle. In this article, cancer survivors reveal the symptoms they wish they’d spotted earlier.

CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. SEEK GUIDANCE FROM YOUR DOCTOR REGARDING YOUR HEALTH AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

• My dog, who never cuddled me in bed, started sleeping next to me with her nose nestled between my breast and armpit. Exactly where the tumor was. She stopped when it was removed. Four-year survivor! © Trix2021 / Reddit

• I was so itchy. All the time, for months. My back, specifically, I could not stop itching. 3 months later, I woke up one day and could no longer move from my neck down. Took 6 months to diagnose stage 2S non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 9 years cancer-free. © user638282636822 / Reddit

• I had thyroid cancer at 25, and there was nothing out of the ordinary except that a buddy of mine saw me one morning and said, “Bruh, your neck looks fat.”
  I was a skinny dude, so that caught me off guard. And he said, “No, it looks fatter.” I owe my life to him. 40s now and thriving.
  Idk how he even saw it. It was nothing more than a very small and slight, and soft neck swelling. Like if you bump into something. © Brynhild / Reddit

• I had a spot on my nose that just would not heal, bled often, scabbed over repeatedly, but never healed properly. Turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, thankfully a very minor non-melanoma skin cancer, but rare for someone my age (26). Always get any weird skin issues checked out, people :) © Oz-y-mandias / Reddit

• For almost an entire year, I was taking 2–3 hour naps every afternoon. So much so that it was impacting my work quality and social life. I thought caffeine didn’t work on me. Had a random hot flash too. Also felt a lump, but honestly didn’t know what regular breasts were supposed to feel like, even my own. It was very likely to be a fibroangioma (benign lump) due to my age group. Luckily, my radiologist pushed for a biopsy. Diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer at 24. © plusultraprincess / Reddit