In brief

• Russian neurologist Aleksei Mamatov listed five symptoms that may accompany cancers.
• They include persistent fatigue, hoarseness, excessive weight loss, decreased appetite or changes in digestive tract function, and difficulties with previous physical activity.
• The doctor advises not to panic, but also not to wait for a symptom to pass on its own.

Five signals that are easy to dismiss

Aleksei Mamatov, a regenerative medicine physician and neurologist, founder of the Systemic Health Academy, told Gazeta.Ru that fatigue, drowsiness and hoarseness do not always have trivial causes (Врач назвал пять неочевидных признаков рака - Газета | Новости – gazeta.press) (Врач назвал пять неочевидных признаков рака – rambler.ru). According to him, persistent or unexplained changes should be assessed as a whole, not individually.

The first signal is persistent tiredness, drowsiness and exhaustion that do not pass after rest. Ordinary seasonal fatigue subsides after sleep and recovery, whereas this symptom, in the doctor's view, may indicate a more serious problem.

The second is hoarseness or a change in voice timbre. Attention should be paid especially when it is not accompanied by other signs of infection and the cold season has already ended. The third signal is excessive weight loss, including when a person eats healthily. The fourth is a sudden loss of appetite or unusual changes in digestive tract function.

Unusual symptoms do not always mean cancer

Mamatov noted that an unusual symptom does not always indicate cancer, and postponing it is a mistake. The materials, however, do not state how often the listed symptoms accompany cancers or what tests the doctor recommends in such cases.