From the Guidelines
Common symptoms of solid neoplasia include difficulty or pain on swallowing, involuntary and progressive weight loss, hoarseness or cough, and fatigue due to anaemia or disease burden. These symptoms can vary depending on the location and size of the tumor, as well as the presence of metastatic disease.
Common Symptoms
- Difficulty or pain on swallowing (dysphagia or odynophagia)
- Involuntary and progressive weight loss
- Hoarseness or cough
- Fatigue due to anaemia or disease burden
- Vomiting blood or passing melaena
- Symptoms specific to the tumor location, such as coughing or hemoptysis with lung tumors, changes in bowel habits with colorectal tumors, or neurological symptoms with brain tumors As tumors grow, they can cause pressure on surrounding structures leading to obstruction, such as intestinal blockage or urinary obstruction. Bleeding may occur if the tumor erodes into blood vessels, presenting as blood in stool, urine, or sputum.
Tumor Location and Symptoms
- Lung tumors: coughing or hemoptysis
- Colorectal tumors: changes in bowel habits
- Brain tumors: neurological symptoms, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision
- Abdominal tumors: abdominal pain, swelling, poor appetite, constipation, and nausea The most recent and highest quality study, 1, highlights the importance of considering the location and size of the tumor when evaluating symptoms.
Clinical Presentation
- Effects of increased intracranial pressure, such as headaches that worsen over time, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision
- Seizure, hemiparesis, monoparesis, cranial nerve deficits, ataxia, hemisensory loss, dysphasia, aphasia, and memory impairment Early-stage solid tumors are often asymptomatic, which is why screening is important for early detection. Symptoms typically develop gradually as the tumor grows and begins to interfere with normal bodily functions, compress nearby structures, or metastasize to other organs.
From the Research
Common Symptoms of Solid Neoplasia
The common symptoms of solid neoplasia (tumors) include:
- Pain: One-third of participants had moderate to severe pain, and almost half had clinically significant pain that interfered with daily activities 2
- Tiredness: Prevalence of 79% 2
- Anxiety: Prevalence of 63% 2
- Drowsiness: Prevalence of 50% 2
- Gastrointestinal problems: One-third of participants had items identified from the Edmonton System Assessment System and also volunteered other symptoms, mostly gastrointestinal problems 2
- Impaired Global Wellbeing and low Overall QOL: Many of those affected also reported impaired Global Wellbeing and low Overall QOL 2
Psychological and Physical Symptoms
Psychological and physical symptoms, QOL problems, and difficulties with daily activities were commonly present in people with newly diagnosed solid tumors 2.
Variations in Symptoms
There are variations in the prevalence and incidence of different types of solid tumors, such as gastric, esophageal, and colorectal cancers, by gender and region 3.
Prognostic Factors
The two well-known prognostic factors important in almost all tumors include stage and grade 4.
Treatment and Therapy
There are various strategies for addressing tumors raised from solid organs, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, combinational therapy, and stem cell and extracellular vesicle (EV) therapy 5.