Understanding teenage cancer symptoms
Research shows that teenagers and young adult cancer patients often feel frustrated that their symptoms aren’t taken seriously. Healthcare workers often don’t think about cancer when they try to diagnose teenagers - because it can be unusual.
Yet all symptoms, even non-specific symptoms that persist, require a more in-depth evaluation. It’s important to be assertive as a teen or a parent if you’re not getting the answers you need, so always seek a second or even a third opinion if that’s what it takes to get them.
Common signs of cancer in teenagers
These are a few of the common signs of cancer in young people according to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Ensure that you get them checked out if they’re persistent and unexplained:
- Pain that doesn’t go away quickly when you take painkillers
- Lumps, bumps or swellings
- Significant weight loss (when you’re not dieting, stressed or exercising hard)
- Extreme tiredness
- Changes in a mole (size or colour, or if it starts bleeding)
- Unexplained bruising
- Bleeding you can’t explain – for instance in your urine, vomit or stools, after sex, or between periods.
Non-specific symptoms that can signal cancer
- Lethargy (extreme tiredness)
- Pain
- Bone Pain
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Generally not feeling well
If you’re concerned that you may have symptoms of cancer you need to talk to a doctor immediately and undergo a thorough examination and all the necessary tests. When you go to the consultation, take along a list of your symptoms. Explain when these started, how long they’ve been there and whether they are getting worse. Also always take a parent or other trusted adult with you.
Most prevalent cancers in teenagers in South Africa
Here’s a list of the most prevalent cancers for South African teenagers from the National Cancer Registry’s 2012 statistics for South Africa, expressed at an incident rate per 100 000, for each age group:
Age-specific cancer incidence for females
|
Site or type |
10-14 years |
15-19 years |
|
Bone cancer |
0.42 |
0.5 |
|
Brain and central nervous system |
0.5 |
0.12 |
|
Connective tissue |
0.21 |
0.47 |
|
Hodgkin lymphoma |
0.13 |
0.71 |
|
Karposi Sarcoma |
0.13 |
0.29 |
|
Kidney |
0.42 |
0.08 |
|
Leukaemia |
0.75 |
0.35 |
|
Melanoma |
0.17 |
0.12 |
|
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma |
0.25 |
0.32 |
|
Ovary |
0.21 |
0.12 |
Age-specific cancer incidence for males
|
Site or type |
10-14 years |
15-19 years |
|
Bone cancer |
0.37 |
0.71 |
|
Brain and central nervous system |
0.46 |
0.47 |
|
Burkitt lymphoma |
0.29 |
0.20 |
|
Connective tissue |
0.30 |
0.32 |
|
Hodgkin lymphoma |
0.58 |
0.55 |
|
Karposi Sarcoma |
0.35 |
0.29 |
|
Kidney |
0.21 |
0.00 |
|
Leukaemia |
1.04 |
0.79 |
|
Naso-Oropharynx |
0.13 |
0.16 |
|
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma |
0.33 |
0.51 |
|
Testis |
0.0 |
0.23 |
Read more about ensuring emotional support for a teenager with cancer here.
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