People are putting their lives at risk by ignoring potential warning signs of cancer, Cancer Research UK has said.
More than half of those questioned had recently experienced a “red flag” symptom, but almost none thought the problem could be a sign of cancer, a study found. Scientists urged people not to ignore persistent coughs, bleeding and changes in toilet habits, which could be a sign of serious illness, saying it was dangerous for people to assume that cancer “wouldn’t happen to them”.
Researchers asked 1,700 people over 50 about 17 symptoms, including ten known to be cancer warning signs, such as unexplained weight loss, persistent pain, difficulty swallowing or a sore that did not heal. Although 53 per cent said that they had experienced