Overlooked sign of cancer to watch for at dinnertime: experts

This might be tough to swallow.

Having trouble swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia, could be a sign of cancer, reports The Mirror.

The often-overlooked symptom could signal cancers of the head, jaw, neck or mouth, per Healthline, as tumor growth in these areas may lead to blockages.

Dysphagia could even indicate skin cancer of the face, like melanoma, the outlet reported.

Similarly, a persistent sore throat could also be a sign of cancer, particularly when accompanied by symptoms such as facial swelling or unexplained weight loss, according to City of Hope Cancer Care.

Of course, having trouble swallowing isn’t always a symptom of cancer — it could be completely unrelated, perhaps a simple case of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or a head injury.

If you have other symptoms, and the swallowing troubles get worse over time, it’s best to get checked out by a doctor, The Mirror recommends.

The most common symptoms of cancer include lumps under the skin, weight loss, skin changes, persistent bloating, unexpected vaginal bleeding, appetite loss or even a hoarse voice, according to Cancer Research UK.

In addition to trouble swallowing, there are four other symptoms of cancer that shouldn’t be ignored, according to Dr. Anne Marie O’Broin Lennon, a gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

This list includes shortness of breath, bleeding, finding lumps and masses, as well as any change in a bodily function, like using the bathroom.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, after heart disease, according to The American Cancer Society.

1.9 million US cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, and 609,820 deaths from cancer are expected to be reported.

For women, the leading cancer diagnosis is breast cancer, accounting for 31% of predicted female cancer cases in 2023.

For men, the leading cancer diagnosis is prostate, accounting for 29% of estimated male cancer cases.

However, the ACS does note that the death rate from cancer has continued to drop.

From its peak in 1991, it fell 33% by 2020 for men and women combined.