The symptom of the UK's most common cancer that 'doesn't get better with rest'

A woman diagnosed with the UK's most prevalent cancer has confessed she overlooked four warning signs before her diagnosis.

Today marks World Cancer Day, when many of us are taking a closer look at our health and are having important discussions about the disease. In the UK, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds on average.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, as it accounted for roughly 15 per cent of new cases in women between 2017 and 2019.

READ MORE: Urgent cancer warning issued by doctor over hot water bottle mistake

READ MORE: Mum 'lucky to be alive' after heartburn and chest pain led to cancer diagnosis

Men are not immune from the disease, as they make up about 1 per cent of cases. Social media user Kristi, who regularly shares updates about her breast cancer journey on TikTok, admitted she didn't pay much attention to her symptoms until her own breast cancer diagnosis.

She said to her followers: "If you have these symptoms, too, it does NOT mean that you also have breast cancer," but urged them to consult their doctor.

She added: "But please talk to your physician and ADVOCATE for yourself!!!!"

Here are the four symptoms she explained she had ignored up until her diagnosis.

Key symptoms of breast cancer

Severe fatigue

Kristi explained in the video that a symptom she ignored was severe fatigue. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that "extreme fatigue that doesn't get better with rest" can be an early indicator of not just breast cancer, but many types of the disease.

"Cancer uses your body's nutrients to grow and advance, so those nutrients are no longer replenishing your body. This 'nutrient theft' can make you feel extremely tired," the medical institution explained.

Craving sugar while losing weight

Stamford Health has highlighted that weight loss linked to cancer can be due to various factors, reports Surrey Live : "Depending on the type of cancer and the organs affected, individuals may experience nausea or a lack of appetite, or have difficulty chewing or swallowing, which causes their food intake to drop," Stamford Health explained.

Preliminary research has hinted at sugar cravings as a potential early indicator of cancer. The National Institute of Health (NIH) also noted: "There is evidence of an association between cancer and certain types of altered eating behaviours, including orthorexia, food cravings, and food addiction."

Bruising easily

This next symptom Kristi discussed is most commonly seen in patients with blood cancer, and it precedes nearly a quarter of leukaemia diagnoses. When cancer reaches stage 4, as in Kristi's case, it signifies that the disease has metastasised to other body parts.

Dull back pain

Enduring back pain that gets progressively worse is another symptom, reported The Mirror. Breast cancer that has metastasised to the bones can result in pain or discomfort in areas like the hip or back.

Most common symptoms of breast cancer

According to the NHS website, the most common symptoms of breast cancer are:

• a lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit

• a change in the skin of your breast, such as dimpling (may look like orange peel) or redness (may be harder to see on black or brown skin)

• a change in size or shape of 1 or both breasts

• nipple discharge (if you are not pregnant or breastfeeding), which may have blood in it

• a change in the shape or look of your nipple, such as it turning inwards (inverted nipple) or a rash on it (may look like eczema)

• pain in your breast or armpit which does not go away – breast pain that comes and goes is usually not a symptom of breast cancer.

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