[3][4] Cancer can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms are often nonspecific, meaning they may be general phenomena that do not point directly to a specific disease process.

[5] In medicine, a sign is an objective piece of data that can be measured or observed, as in a high body temperature (fever), a rash, or a bruise.

This may include laboratory work, physical examinations, tissue samples, or diagnostic imaging tests that a community of experts recommends be conducted at set intervals for particular populations.

[12] Constitutional Symptoms Local Symptoms Blood in sputum (hemoptysis) Shortness of breath (dyspnea) Unusual diarrhea or constipation Continuing indigestion or heartburn Abdominal pain, bloating, or nausea Blood in the stool Enlarged liver Any abnormal bleeding, including menstrual irregularities*, bleeding from the vagina blood in urine Uterine, ovarian or vaginal cancer Unexplained rash Unusual lump Changes in a mole* Oral cancers, or other cancers of the tissues where they develop **These are often evaluated with the ABCD mnemonic for changes in Changes in skin texture, e.g. dimpling Inversion of nipples Unusual or bloody discharge Fractures, esp.

spinal Swollen lymph node or unusual lump Lymphomas New-onset seizures Vertigo A health professional may pursue a formal diagnostic workup to evaluate symptoms of cancer.