Cancer Symptoms - Cancer Message Board

Lewis68 · 03-07-2007, 09:09 PM

First, I want to say my heart goes out to all Cancer patients and their families. I lost my father a year ago due to Liver Cancer.

I have some general questions about Cancer and how the symptoms progress.

How does weight loss usually happen in a cancer patient? Does it happen rapidly over a course of weeks, OR could it happen slowly over a course of months (six). Also, if the weight loss slowed down, or leveled off, could that still mean cancer? All the while appetite staying ok, but slightly down.

How does the overall symptoms change? Do they get worse and worse as the disease progresses, OR could they stay much the same, with ups and downs?

Also, I know elevated Calcium could be caused by some cancers. However, when the calcium is elevated in a cancer patient, does it increase over a short period of time until it becomes dangerously high, OR could it linger slightly elevated, to High Normal for over a year?

I've been posting on other boards for a while now trying to come up with a reason for my symptoms. Currently my doctors are basically checking for everything, including cancer. I'll be getting the results next week, but I've been worried sick about it. So I thought I'd try to calm my nerves by going on the Internet. Yeah right!

After thinking about this long and hard, I really don't think I have cancer, or at least I'm trying to convince myself of that.

My main symptoms started three months ago. Dizziness/Lightheaded. Other symptoms followed like Fatigue, Heart Palps, Chest Discomfort etc, but I believe could be related to stress. I have slowly lost weight (20lbs) over the last six months, but again I've been under a lot of stress. Also, my Calcium has been slightly elevated for at least a year.

I know elevated Calcium could mean Hyperparathyroidism, but my PTH level was Low Normal (22), making the diagnosis even more complicated. My Endo doesn't think it is a parathyroid problem, so she is busy searching for every other possible reason, including Cancer. I thought meanwhile I'll try to get a little more info about Cancer from the people closest to it.

Thanks in advance.

Lewis68 · 03-08-2007, 02:32 PM

I believe it was Primary. He was a heavy drinker for many years.

henpen · 03-08-2007, 10:04 PM

What a scary time for you and the internet diagnosis sometimes makes it far worse. The thing that is so frustrating about cancer is that you can take virtually every symptom and attribute it to some type cancer.

How are you lymph nodes? Have they done an MRI? These are two things to look at for some answers. Funny how stress can affect you, too.

After my internet search, I was certain that I had muscle cancer. Then, for the next week or so, my chest felt funny. Now I thought that it moved to my lungs (even though I had an X-ray of my side that included my chest less than a month ago). I think this pain was simply due to the stress.

I spoke with a friend during that time who told me to take some time each morning to meditate. Spend the the time trying to imagine the bad stuff leaving your body and you becomming strong. Let your mind do some positive work for a change. I tried this once and it did wonders.

I will pray for you

Tommy2004 · 03-14-2007, 06:00 PM

Hey there.. im a pretty healthy 32 year old guy, but the last few months i have been getting light headed, dizzy, just spacey/out of it, and the more i think about it the worse it seems. I have also been getting heart palps. Everyone i know says its stress and anxiety, my doc listened to my heart and did a ECG and said I was fine. The spacey/lightheaded stuff drives me nuts. I think were ok, i just think sometimes people like us are overly sensitive due to so much stress and our bodies tend to wig out a bit more than others.

Lewis68 · 03-14-2007, 07:47 PM

Well it doesn't look like I have Cancer. Most of my blood tests came back normal. I'm still waiting on one more, but I really think it will be negetive also.

SO, it looks like I have Hyperparathyroidism, dispite having Low/Normal PTH. Thank God! How many time in your life can you say a Turmor growing in your neck is a Good Thing?

I'm waiting on my third and last Calcium test results to come in next week. If it's consistent, then I have it, and I'm on my way to Florida for surgery.

Tommy, the only thing I can say is, Get your Calcium level checked. If it's high then get your PTH level checked. I wish I had done that a year ago, when my family doctor ignored my high calcium level.

Good luck, and God Bless!