Cancer markers: let's discuss/compare results

Hi everyone! :-)
Some of you might recognize me from the "stomach cancer help" thread. So many of you were there for us, offering advice, kind wishes, and helping us make sense of medical jargon—so, once again, a HUGE thank you.

I started this topic because I’m hoping to connect with people who have experience with cancer, whether it was their own journey or watching a family member go through it. My goal is to try and identify some non-medical warning signs that seem universal or common. If we can spot these patterns, maybe we can help save a life by getting someone to a doctor sooner.

In my own family, we’ve had two cases of stomach cancer—one was a relative who passed away (they were under 40 at the time), and there's another case currently active. I say "currently active" because they actually ended up at the doctor entirely by chance, without any specific symptoms or complaints. Since they were young, it didn't even cross our minds that something so serious could be happening. We just assumed they were healthy, especially since the statistics usually point toward older patients.

I won't ramble too much, so please bear with me. I’ll start with some signs we noticed with my husband and then move on to other examples. Please feel free to jump in with your own experiences—maybe we can uncover something new together.

To give you an idea: my husband is an incredibly calm, level-headed, phlegmatic guy. He's the type of person you almost never argue with; that's just his nature. About a year ago, I noticed he started snapping more often (especially at me). He became more argumentative, and our usual discussions weren't constructive anymore—they turned into petty squabbles. It was as if he was actively looking for reasons to fight, using personal words specifically intended to hurt. Of course, at first, I was just confused and couldn't believe what I was hearing. But eventually, I chalked it all up to life stress. We were selling our house and caught in that frantic window between moving out and buying a new place, which brought its own set of headaches... it all seemed perfectly logical. And boy, let me tell you, it’s hard not to get frustrated when things are that tense. Then came the diagnosis—sudden, unexpected, and it absolutely shook us to the core. After he left the hospital, he had lost quite a bit of weight, but I also noticed a change in his complexion—he looked different, almost glowing. Brighter. That's when it clicked: he had been looking much grayer before the surgery. Later, I heard another pharmacist mention that cancer patients (specifically those who haven't had surgery yet) often have gray skin tones. However, as he continued his recovery, he became incredibly nervous—almost unbearably so. There was no trigger for it; he would just become extremely rude or agitated at times. Once those phases passed, he felt terrible about it. He usually explained it by saying he just didn't know what hit him—he'd feel this fluttering sensation in his stomach, and suddenly everything would irritate him. The sun, the rain, the fact that dinner wasn't ready, or that it was ready too soon... everything. We talked about it a lot, and it's clearly very hard for him because he can't control that internal restlessness. As I started talking to other close friends and colleagues, I heard the same thing repeatedly: cancer patients (both those still fighting it and those who have had surgery) are often much more nervous and tense than they were before the illness. People I spoke to didn't mention this before, probably because it sounds ungrateful to suggest that, given they were given a second chance. But listening to people in my professional circle, my relatives, and the doctors I've worked with, I realized something: everyone acts like once the surgical procedure is done (if there's no chemo involved), the problem is solved. But it isn't. The surgery only removes the diseased part—the main piece—but the battle is still very much ongoing inside their bodies.
I suspect that because those cancerous cells exist in the body, they release substances that interfere with hormone chemistry and the factors that regulate our mood. I also assume that this chemical imbalance can linger for a long time even after the mutated cells themselves have been physically removed from the body. I believe the same effect applies to whatever element gives the skin its glow and freshness (whatever that may be—I am a chemist, after all).
I also wanted to mention that my husband's lower back area smelled quite strongly of uric acid even right after he showered, and that scent would soak right into the towel he used to dry off.

Anyway, I hope sharing our experience helps someone out—maybe someone who hasn't gone to the doctor yet (even if they don't fit the typical profile of someone with this condition, or if they aren't experiencing any actual pain or major symptoms). I also just want anyone dealing with something similar to my husband's situation to know they aren't alone... I don't know, I guess :-)
In any case, you know what I mean :-)

I realized I missed one pretty important detail—for the last six months, my husband was just completely wiped out. We obviously blamed it on our hectic schedule, but looking back now, knowing what I know, that wasn't just regular tiredness. He was sleeping constantly. He could barely keep up with his daily grind, like work and everything around the house, and whenever he didn't strictly *have* to be awake—like when we were visiting friends or having people over—he’d end up in bed, either just lounging or fast asleep.
That would be one more thing to add to the list.

Personally, I’d tuck this anxiety away in the "dealing with a heavy illness" drawer rather than treating it like some standalone symptom.
I don't know, I tend to view everything through a pretty subjective lens anyway, so that's just how my mind works.

I I haven't even gotten to stories like these yet:
- A guy who used to go along with everyone at his office suddenly becomes incredibly high-strung and anxious—so much so that the company actually sent him to see a psychiatrist. Luckily, the doctor insisted on running a full battery of tests before following up, and it turned out to be colon cancer.
- A man who always held fairly conservative views suddenly turns into a fanatic, fighting tooth and nail for nothing but his own opinions. If people don't agree with him, he loses it. Turns out, it was kidney cancer.
- A lady who has lived her whole 50 years by strict religious principles—never raising her voice or making a scene—suddenly starts snapping and getting agitated over things that wouldn't bother anyone else. It was uterine cancer.
...and a whole list of other examples.
It wasn't until later that I suspected the anxiety and the cancer were linked, independent of any fear about the illness returning. I know it’s not the case with my husband; that thought never even crosses his mind. Even when I ask if it could be happening on some subconscious level, he just says that even if it does come back, he isn't the one deciding that, just like he didn't decide when it first showed up. He doesn't dwell on it.
I’m an analytical person by nature, so I’ve questioned everything—from whether our marriage was under strain to the most basic biological changes. It wasn't until I heard that others experience similar shifts right before a diagnosis or even after surgery that this possibility crossed my mind. Of course, that doesn't mean it's definitely true. I just wanted to see if anyone else had experiences to share, so we don't overlook indicators that aren't strictly analytical, chemical, or physical. From what I've seen, cancer is just so sneaky; it often makes its presence known only when it's already late and medicine has its hands tied.

@feralwolf24/">@@feralwolf24
I get why you’re trying to dig into the roots and causes of illness, but I think you might be barking up the wrong tree. First off, I can't tell if you view anxiety as the cause or just a symptom. Either way, how do you explain pediatric cancer? Those kids aren't dealing with workplace stress; unless they're coming from broken homes, they aren't exactly living in a state of constant agitation, yet they still get sick.
Some of your comments are going to send the hypochondriacs running straight to their doctors for a battery of expensive tests. Just as an observation, when my mom got sick, she wasn't irritable or looking haggard... honestly, I don't think she ever looked better.
The real question is how many symptoms go ignored because people aren't paying attention, only for things to spiral. Sometimes it creeps up, sometimes it hits like a freight train. Some people have a genetic predisposition, some eat junk, some smoke and never touch cancer, while others never even picked up a cigarette and end up with lung cancer. You see drinkers die with perfectly healthy livers, and kids who've never seen a drop of alcohol get liver cancer. Statistics are just about gathering data to find a common denominator, and I'm still not seeing which specific culprit you're pointing at.

Dear stormylynx4, you’re focusing on the wrong metrics, and I think you've missed my point entirely. I’m looking at something that isn't easily measured—just a gut feeling that something is off. From reading through these forums, talking to people, diving into books, and digging through scientific papers, I’ve realized one thing: early-stage cancer often doesn't show any symptoms until it's already too far gone. My husband's blood work was perfect; his markers were all within the normal range just a day before surgery. All he felt was heartburn—and let's be honest, as a smoker, who doesn't get that? Luckily, for once in my life, since the doctor prescribed him Pepcid, I actually took the time to read the instructions. I saw how those pills can mask a malignant process, so I insisted he get a gastroscopy. I nagged him, threatened him, and used every trick in the book—honestly, I don't even know what drove me, because I never truly believed he had cancer. But that exam saved his life. I’m trying to find those subtle signs when there aren't any measurable indicators. I want to help someone else catch this before things reach a breaking point, if that makes sense. And as for being a hypochondriac—do you really think I would have stumbled onto this if it wasn't real? What if I'm right? What about the people who wait until they're seeing blood in their stool or vomiting blood, thinking it's just a phase that will pass? By the time they finally get a diagnosis, it's already too late. What happens to them?

feralwolf24 said:Look, stormylynx4, you're looking at the wrong thing entirely. I'm not talking about lab results; I'm looking for those gut feelings—the signs that just tell you something isn't right.

I still don't follow you. If you're chasing things that can't be measured, I'm not sure anyone can give you the answers you want. If we start focusing on outliers, the solution would be to offer everyone an MRI or tumor markers just in case... but what can a person actually do to stay healthy? You can skip the cigarettes or watch your diet, but it’s not a guarantee. Even Neil Armstrong lived a healthy lifestyle and still got sick before recovering. My mom never touched a drink or a cigarette, yet she got sick and didn't make it back.

I don't know much about him, but I have my doubts that Neil Armstrong lived a particularly healthy lifestyle

This is an excellent topic. I’m not entirely sure if everyone else has caught your drift yet, but your point is that we should be discussing actual symptoms—specifically those vague, nebulous sensations that people tend to dismiss as random coincidences when they don't have a diagnosis. It’s only once you finally receive a definitive medical diagnosis that you realize all those seemingly unrelated issues were actually part of the same underlying condition.
Fortunately, we haven't dealt with any malignant illnesses in my family, but I will certainly be bookmarking this thread for future reference.

feralwolf24, did your husband end up getting that brain MRI done?

Exactly, crimsonbear23. I’m trying to get people who have survived this illness—or their loved ones—to share if there were any warning signs beyond just pain, blood work, or standard lab results. I want to know if there are subtle cues that could alert someone that things are PRE-alarmingly bad. My hope is that someone, much like my husband, stays sharp enough to let doctors step in while they actually have the power to fix the problem.
stormylynx4, I’m not looking for the cause. I haven’t spent any time digging into causes or prevention; honestly, I don't have a clue about those things. My point is simply that some people realize they have cancer while it's still just in the stomach lining, like it was with my husband, rather than waiting until it has already invaded the stomach, hit the lymph nodes, and started spreading toward the esophagus... The idea of using an MRI is fine, but having one as a routine yearly checkup isn't realistic for most of us. So, I thought maybe we could collectively identify certain signs our families might notice, or things we can spot ourselves, to stay one step ahead of this nasty disease.
To be honest, I view cancer as a living creature that I’d love to just grab by the throat and... well, smash. If it were something I could physically tackle, I'm sure it wouldn't exist! I'm certain plenty of people feel the same way after dealing with it. All I can do from where I’m standing is try to help someone else. Help someone whose situation is still early and "simple" enough to resolve, provided they just go get checked out.

There are basically three types of people:
1. Hypochondriacs—they'll head to the doctor and run a whole battery of tests every single time.
2. Let's call them regular folks.
3. People who avoid doctors because they don't trust them, hate waiting in line, think it'll just pass, or simply don't want to give their discomfort a name (assuming it isn't serious). I fall into this group myself, and I know plenty of others like me.
For groups 2 and 3, my wish is that they'll worry if people tell them they've been incredibly nervous for months (even if the initial issue passed), or if they notice they've been exhausted lately regardless of how much sleep they get, or even if they notice a strange scent on their towel after showering. That is, assuming my theory makes sense. That's the goal. You mentioned your mom wasn't nervous and didn't lose color in her face, or look "pale." That’s actually really helpful information because it means my theory doesn't apply to her case. I'm not trying to sell a recipe to prevent cancer or a cure to fix it; I just want to see if we can find more signs for people who don't show the typical symptoms, so they'll know to see a doctor. It's about getting those tests done early. Even if you have to pay out of pocket, it's much cheaper to pay for diagnostics to stop something from developing than it is to buy a mountain of supplements and meds to deal with a massive, unpredictable problem.

My husband didn't perform the MRI scan. Why was that?

It strikes me that the points raised by the woman who initiated this thread bear absolutely no relevance to the matter at hand. I do apologize if that sounds blunt, but truly, there is no connection whatsoever.

feralwolf24 said:My husband didn't have an MRI on his head. Why?

It’s basically to rule out any brain metastases.

There aren't any brain metastases, and I honestly don't see why there would be. Are we talking about an expert medical opinion here?
Fanny, you're right—it was a mistake. The woman who started this thread completely missed the mark and her intentions are just plain morbidly stupid. You hit the nail on the head. It's honestly ridiculous how clueless she is.

It is true—this premise sounds quite controversial, doesn't it? The idea that shifts in our behavior and perception could actually be *caused* by malignant changes, rather than just occurring alongside them (as we typically assume they run in parallel). But really, do we know enough about cancer to say we have it figured out? If we did, couldn't we solve it more easily? We have all heard those stories of people being cured of carcinoma simply because they stopped passively enduring conventional therapy and decided to analyze themselves—to change from within via alternative paths—thereby baffling the specialists who had only given them a mere four to six months to live. (That "four to six months" timeframe always strikes me as odd—we hear it constantly, in movies and in real life, almost as if doctors have a script they follow, as if they all just default to saying four to six!) And I believe we have all heard how a dog can sniff out the exact location of a cancerous growth—or rather, scientists here in the US are already training dogs specifically for that purpose. So why would this topic seem foolish? The body is always sending signals that something is amiss; it is just that we have become so disconnected from ourselves that we no longer recognize them. Have you ever truly hated someone in your life? Or endured massive amounts of stress? Or consumed excessive toxins? Were you at your most beautiful during those periods? I suspect that anyone filled with negativity eventually looks and feels like absolute garbage. Is it not incredible that the body sends a warning at even the slightest dose of negativity—just because we fail to see it, doesn't mean it isn't there.

This week, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. It is not good. The doctors were incredibly discouraging, and I have spent days just vomiting and crying; we have already dealt with so many problems without this worst-case scenario being added to the pile. I haven't had a close relationship with my dad for years, but now, amidst all this fear I am navigating, it feels as though we are returning to a place where we once stalled and got stuck. On the day of the diagnosis, Dad was incredibly accepting—perhaps too accepting. I don't think he was hiding anything; I think he simply wants to step out of his shell, to finally start taking care of himself and begin analyzing his life. I am not a psychic—in fact, I am a huge skeptic—but for years I have had dreams where the fates of my loved ones are foreshadowed. I cannot change anything for them; I simply feel them deeply and only realize what happened once the event occurs. Even as a child, years before this, I felt that Dad wouldn't be well (it is as if you remain tied to your parents by an invisible umbilical cord), and I would define the mistakes of my loved ones years before they themselves would acknowledge them (what irony, that I cannot see my own mistakes!). What I am trying to say is that the signs are always there. The voice and the echo. The strike and the pain. The plus and the minus. The force and the counterforce. True, the potential hundred-percent accuracy of the aforementioned premise probably won't change much—since, after all, we often do not change our own perception until the cruelest warning arrives—and I do not agree with everything the person who started this thread said. However, if there is a need for something constructive (in this case, for analysis and rationalization) and an interest in something other than a discussion about shoe colors or shaving between toes, then those participating in the debate should either argue their point (whatever that may be) or choose an entirely different topic on this sufficiently chaotic forum.

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As I’ve mentioned here before—it’s a sobering reality—even the most thorough medical checkups in the world can miss cancer. You can listen to your body and maintain the healthiest lifestyle imaginable... but that isn't a guarantee that you'll catch a problem early enough to actually beat it.

A couple of examples:
1) My dearest girl—she was healthy from day one. Her only real brush with illness was a case of chickenpox when she was little, and even then, it was so mild you barely noticed it. She never dealt with anything more serious than a common cold.
She was always so bright, energetic, and active—always playing tennis, snowboarding, or just running around doing something.
In the middle of 2004, she felt a small lump on her leg while rubbing her shins. She told me her first thought was, "It's cancer!" By August of that same year, she received the formal diagnosis. She went through the treatments, the surgeries... and had been in remission since January 2005. Even during her treatment, she remained that same spirited, slightly eccentric girl.
Everything seemed fine until September 2006, right around her 15th birthday. She came back from a hiking trip that day feeling exhausted and having pain on her right side. It turned out the cancer had returned. Just two weeks prior, she had seen her oncologist—tests, checkups, all of it—and everything looked perfect. In fact, her doctor even suggested we move her checkups to once a year instead of every six months because she seemed so incredibly healthy.
By mid-September 2006, they told her she was dying. She passed away on December 3rd. If you could have heard her talking that day—her strength, her wonderful sarcasm, her sense of humor—you would have asked me why on earth such a vibrant kid was stuck in bed instead of out with her friends.

2) My psychologist's sister—a lovely woman in her 50s—was a lifelong vegetarian and a Yoga instructor. She meditated constantly and honestly looked more vibrant and youthful than women in their 30s. She had zero history of illness, and there was nothing significant in our family medical history either. Then, breast cancer was diagnosed, and she passed away just a few months later.

Sadly, there are no rules to this.
I am always ready to tell people that if this happened to my daughter—given how healthy she was, her diet, her athletics...—then truly, no one is immune.

All we can really do is pray to God and cherish the present moment, because the future isn't promised to any of us.

Wishing you all wonderful health!!

Betty Allen65 said:Unfortunately, there aren't any rules for this.
I’d honestly say that if this happened to my dearest, knowing how healthy she eats and how active she is... nobody is truly immune.

All we can really do is pray to God and live in the moment, because who knows if there’s even a tomorrow.

Stay healthy, everyone!!

That's exactly where my head was when I wrote my post. No matter how much medicine advances, there are still questions no one can answer. Most of these retrospective analyses are just people trying to find meaning in things that feel completely senseless.
It's hard for all of us to accept seeing someone young get cancer. It’s tough even when it's an older person, but unfortunately, there aren't many "alternative" symptoms besides the standard tests and labs. Though, I think it's human nature to look back and think, "I knew something wasn't right."

People claim cancer rates are rising, but they forget that life expectancy has increased too. It used to be "normal" for a 40-year-old woman to suddenly pass away, leaving neighbors wondering what happened while they were just out gardening. She might have been bleeding for months without anyone noticing or her ever visiting a doctor. We tend to overlook how far oncology has come; so many patients actually recover. A friend of mine beat leukemia at 37 and became a father for the first time last year at 44.
Personally, I teared up watching a documentary from France about using nanotechnology to treat brain tumors. The girl in the film was alive, even though every prognosis said she wouldn't make it past six months.
Cancer scares us all, but heart disease is still the big player. I don't see many people specifically obsessing over fatty foods, smoking, alcohol, or a sedentary lifestyle. Living with the threat of a stroke is also a very real risk, and the aftermath isn't easy if you survive.

Maybe you should check out Louise Hay's book, "You Can Heal Your Life." It might actually help you out a bit

I wasn't looking for the cause of cancer or a way to cure it. Let me put it this way: imagine a guy who’s perfectly healthy and shows zero symptoms. He’s just living his life until, at some point, he starts getting really cranky—my guess being that's when the illness actually kicked in. His occasional outbursts start annoying everyone at the office. Most days, he’s the same old friendly, reliable colleague we all like. But then, out of nowhere, he gets hit by a mood swing that makes him irritable, and it affects everyone around him. Eventually, his worried coworkers suggest he go see a psychiatrist. The doctor won't even sit down with him until he clears some medical tests, and that’s when they find the answer. The tests show he has early-stage colon cancer.
I'm not talking about causes, diet, smoking, family history, or how healthy someone was before this happened. I'm not talking about cures or treatments, either. My point is that CANCER IS CURABLE if it’s caught early enough using today's medical advancements (for most types). The reason mortality rates seem so high is simply because the "invader" has already moved in and started spreading. Maybe if more energy went into studying chemistry—since everything comes down to chemical reactions, whether it's health, sensation, or feeling—we could stop the disease from expanding inside the body.
For example, imagine you're making soup on the stove and you go to salt it, but a huge clump of salt falls in. If you don't react within a split second to fish that salt out, it starts dissolving and your soup is ruined. But if you catch it in that tiny window of time, you might just save the meal.
That’s what I mean. Are there other warning signs that could tell us to act fast? Right now? And if there are, are those signs something any of us could notice in time to get to a doctor? Is it possible that a person with cancer might suddenly look pale, or experience fatigue, mood swings, or even a change in scent?
I was asking if those of you who have lived with someone with cancer, or are survivors yourselves, noticed any changes like that. Anything that would make someone realize their body is sending out signals that shouldn't be ignored—signals that maybe it's time to call the doctor. Maybe science and research should pivot toward things like monitoring serotonin levels or stress hormones as a way to detect cancer in its earliest stages.