Detecting and treating cancer early improves treatment and survival outcomes. Depending on various factors, some cancers' symptoms show up early, while others may remain hidden until the disease has spread. Regular screening and being alert to persistent or unexplained signs can help identify cancer early, doctors said. A 38-year-old told of how her cancer diagnosis was delayed for months because she thought her symptoms were due to stress and anxiety.
Cancer that has spread becomes more complicated to treat, with those in the advanced stages generally having poorer outcomes. People whose cancer treatment is delayed by even a month have a 6 to 13 per cent higher risk of dying — a risk that continues rising the longer treatment is put off, a study published in 2020 in peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ suggested. It is becoming important that this group be made more aware of cancer symptoms so as not to get a delayed diagnosis