John Ely, Deputy Health Editor, Mailonline
Updated: July 16, 2024 17:15, July 16, 2024 18:08
cancer It’s important to know the potential symptoms because it can be hard to spot until it’s too late, but some symptoms are stranger than others.
From voices telling people to go to the doctor to inexplicable cravings for lettuce to even strange behaviour from beloved pets, doctors have encountered some truly bizarre cases.
Here, MailOnline records some of the strangest symptoms and some of the more common signs of the devastating disease which affects around 400,000 Britons and two million Americans every year.
Hearing voices and strange languages
Suddenly hearing voices of people who aren’t there can be a frightening sign that you’re losing your mind.
But for some people, hearing voices has saved their lives and helped them realize they have cancer.
In one shocking case, a terrified woman received detailed instructions to seek medical help from a non-existent person.
The woman, identified only as AB in the records, was sitting in her home in 1984 when she suddenly heard a voice in her head.
They told her: “Don’t be afraid. I know it’s shocking to hear me talk like this but this is the easiest way I can think of. Me and a friend of mine used to work at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and we want to help you.”
AB had never been to the hospital before and in a state of panic she went to her GP for help, who gave her an urgent referral to a psychiatrist, who prescribed her medication to stop the auditory hallucinations.
But when she returned during the holidays, she encouraged me to return to the UK and even gave me her address: the CT department of a hospital. London hospital.
On arriving at the hospital, the voices told her she had a brain tumour and needed to undergo a scan, which she did.
Analysis of the scans surprisingly revealed a meningioma, a type of tumor that develops in the membrane that supports the brain, measuring 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches.
The neurosurgeon recommended surgery, and AB and the voice agreed. The operation was successful, and AB says that when she woke up she heard the voice say, “We’re glad we could help you. Goodbye.” She never heard the voice again.
Dr Ikechukwu Obiaro Azuonye, who documented the case in the British Medical Journal, suggested that AB may have subconsciously known something was wrong, which manifested itself as the voices.
In a recent case, a colleague Unusual language used in work meetings could be a sign of a brain tumor.
Lucy Woodhouse, 43, said that before her diagnosis she suffered from severe hangover-like headaches and found it difficult to read out loud.
But the nurse, from Hereford, found herself unable to understand what colleagues were saying in meetings – and subsequent tests revealed she had a meningioma the size of a golf ball.
She recalled: “I felt like I had no idea what anyone was saying. I’m usually very picky, but it was like they were speaking Chinese. It was like they were speaking a different language.”
In May she underwent major surgery to remove a tumour that had grown just three millimetres from her optic nerve and could have caused her to go blind.
Mysterious food cravings and addictions
While cravings for sweets like chocolate are common, a sudden urge to eat less-than-desirable foods could be a sign of cancer.
One of them was Elsie Campbell, who in 2004 suddenly developed a desire to eat four whole heads of lettuce a day and initially thought it was just a strange but harmless passing fad.
Fortunately for Mrs. Campbell, her husband, Jim, a researcher, suspected there was more to it.
He discovered that lettuce contains a particular nutrient, a natural antioxidant called sulforaphane, that breast cancer patients lack. This prompted him to encourage his wife to have her breasts examined, and she discovered a lump in one of her breasts.
I’ll go to the doctor later. confirmed that she was ill.
Thankfully, Ms Campbell, 52, an accounting assistant from Derby, has made a full recovery thanks to the cancer being caught early.
“I woke up one day and suddenly had a craving for lettuce,” she recalls.
“I used to eat lettuce in salads, but suddenly I couldn’t resist it. I could eat three or four whole heads of lettuce a day. I’d eat a whole head of iceberg lettuce at work, and then sit on the bus on the way home wishing I could eat more and more.”
“When I got home, I cut one into small pieces and ate it like a watermelon. I felt something was wrong. My husband and sons started to worry about me.”
She added: “Only now do I realise that I was feeding my body lettuce to help it fight the cancer. It was like my body was trying to heal itself.”
“The strange thing is, since they removed the lump, I haven’t had the urge to eat a single lettuce leaf. The craving has completely disappeared.”
Man’s best friend can sniff out cancer
Any dog owner will attest to the power of a dog’s nose, especially when it comes to sniffing out potential treats.
However, some pet owners have had success with their dogs sniffing out serious illnesses.
One of them was grandmother Lindsay Thwaites, from Chapeltown, South Yorkshire.
She claims her noisy dog, Brian, “wouldn’t leave me alone” and was constantly sniffing her bottom.
Mrs Thwaites, 51, eventually became frightened and sought a doctor’s opinion. As a result, he was diagnosed with anal cancer..
She recalls: “Brian’s reprimanding of me saved my life. He encouraged me to go to my GP.”
“Brian only comes to me for love when he wants love, and he won’t leave me alone.”
Mrs Twights discovered a marble-sized lump on her genitals when she examined them and sought help from her GP, who diagnosed her with stage three anal cancer.
Another woman who had a similar experience was Trisha Allison, 50, from Wilford. Nottinghamthanks to her collie mix, Luna. She suffered from breast cancer.
She was lying down watching TV when Luna jumped on top of her. He was clearly sniffing and poking her chest, which Mrs. Allison said he didn’t normally do.
About 45 minutes later, she began to feel pain in her chest and decided to get herself checked out. Deciding that “something was wrong,” she went to her GP, who referred her to a hospital for a mammogram and MRI scan.
The married mother-of-two then had a biopsy and was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks later, in April last year.
Research has shown that dogs can sniff out cancer in some cases.
It is thought that if a dog realizes that their owner has cancer, they may exhibit changes in their behavior, such as paying more attention to their owner, sniffing them, gently licking their paws or feet to “comfort” them, or even lying close to them for no apparent reason.
Common cancer signs to know about
The cases described above are notable for their unusual nature, but for most people, the signs of cancer are probably more mundane but no less serious.
Professor Karol Sikora, a world-renowned oncologist with over 40 years of experience, said people should look out for classic symptoms such as a lump, bleeding and changes in bowel habits.
He said: “Any symptoms that last longer than two weeks should be addressed.”
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He added that men and older people are traditionally less likely to talk to their doctors about possible signs of cancer, so they need to take the signs their body is sending them seriously.
Rachel Auritt, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, added: “There are over 200 types of cancer, so there are no ‘classic’ cancer symptoms.”
“Symptoms may appear in specific parts of the body, such as the stomach or skin, but signs can also be more generalized and include unexplained weight loss, fatigue and pain.”
“You know your body best, so if you feel like something is wrong or not getting better, see a doctor. In most cases, it’s not cancer, but if it is, catching it early increases the chances of successful treatment.”
Other symptoms include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, bloating, changes in moles, and unexplained Weight lossabdominal or back pain, itchy or yellowing skin, fatigue.
