People break down the 5 symptoms you should never ignore that could be a sign of deadly cancer

There are five common symptoms you should never ignore that could be a sign of deadly cancer, according to patients.

There are more than 200 distinct types of cancer that can affect various parts of the body, including the organs, blood, bone marrow, and the immune system, according to Cancer Research UK.

In the US, the NIH states breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers account for almost 50 percent of all deaths, with around 618,120 people predicted to pass away from a type of cancer in 2025 alone.

There are dozens of subtle symptoms and signs that could indicate something is amiss, like bloating could be a sign of appendix cancer, persistent blocked ears could point to tumors or what looks like a non-healing pimple could be a basal cell carcinoma.

Lung cancer is the most common killer (Getty Images)

However, as well as the rare signs, there are dozens of common ones that tend to go ignored.

Weighing in on the top tell-tale signs, dozens of patients, survivors and the loved ones of those who have died from cancer have pinpointed their top five symptoms on Reddit.

Lumps in breast

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer stands as the most common cancer in women in the US, and is the second leading cause of cancer death behind that of lung cancer.

One of the most common signs is a lump - which can be painless.

As one Redditor explained: "A friend of mine noticed a small lump in her breast. She was breastfeeding her infant so she figured it was a clogged duct. A few months later she had it checked out when it didn’t go away. By then it was stage 4. She didn’t make it."

You should check for any lumps often (Getty Images)

Another mom said they experienced the same thing when they were breastfeeding and waived the lump away as a clogged duct, especially since it was painless.

Fortunately, a biopsy revealed it was a tumor and she caught it early in stage one.

Blood in stool

Another said they noticed blood in their stool which medics waived off as haemorrhoids.

Tragically, however, it transpired they had stage 4 colon cancer - and at the young age of 31.

Current guidelines state people should book in for their colonoscopy at the age of 45, however, those at higher risk, such as having a family history, the first colonoscopy should be booked much earlier.

Dozens of patients said that they had to press for appointments with their doctors due to their age, despite having blood in their stool.

Blood in the stool can be another indicator (Getty Images)

"They tell you how rectal bleeding is something to have checked out immediately, but then when you actually go they’re all ‘meh'," said another. "My GP literally told me ‘well it could be cancer, sure, but you’re under 50 so we don’t do scans/colonoscopies for that because you’re young and hence the risk isn’t high enough’. I loved hearing that ofc ‘it might be cancer but because you’re under 50 it PROBABLY isn’t’ - that’s a lot riding on that one word…"

Changing moles

Skin cancer is the most common of all in the US, the American Cancer Society states, and is responsible for the majority or cancer-related deaths.

More than two people die of skin cancer in the US every hour, the Skin Cancer Foundation adds, and at least one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.

One clear sign of melanoma is any changes to the skin - specifically, moles.

"Any mole that changes at all!" one Redditor wrote, who revealed they lost their sister when she was 30 'all because of a mole not getting checked and removed at the first sign.'

Others urged people not to ignore any signs and to wear sunscreen, as one added: "Always best to check. Might be nothing, might save your life."

They urged to check for moles (Getty Images)

Unusual fatigue

Another common sign of cancer is excessive fatigue which patients have described as being distinct from usual tiredness from a lack of sleep and more like 'exhaustion that doesn't go away.'

"Cancer-tired felt was like I was just walking through thick mud. All the time. Every motion was a drag," explained another. "And some days, it felt like someone literally pulled a plug and I’d crash midday, just fall asleep wherever I was. It felt impossible to keep my head held up. I’d sleep for hours and wake up still stuck in mud."

A third added that they waived away their chronic fatigue as something else, until they went for an X-ray for broken ribs which revealed a three-inch renal carcinoma mass on their kidney.

"Now I know why I was sleeping for 14 hours a day!"

Fatigue feels differently from normal tiredness (Getty Images)

Back pain

Finally, dozens have reported back pain as another indicator of cancer.

A patient said how they had lower back pain for around a year which felt different from regular muscular, joint or nerve pain, writing it felt like a 'deep piercing pain.'

A year later, their lymph notes started 'swelling out of the blue' and they found out they had blood cancer at the age of 31 which has tragically spread to the lungs, liver and spleen.

Dozens of others also said their relatives or friends brushed off back pain as an injury when in fact, they had cancer that had metastasised throughout the body.