Some types of cancer can be very difficult to spot, as they show very few or no symptoms in the early stages of the illness. This then makes diagnosis and treatment much harder, and increases the chance of dying.
There are about 460 deaths from cancer every day, adding up to around 167,000 deaths a year. But it's essential to spot the disease as early as possible.
According to Cancer Research UK, catching and diagnosing the type of cancer as early as possible can save lives. A spokesperson for the charity said: "Cancer that’s diagnosed at an early stage, when it isn’t too large and hasn’t spread, is more likely to be treated successfully."
But some cancers can be especially difficult to spot, while others are more easily noticeable and recognisable. Skin cancers in particular are more commonly caught early, as changes to the skin are something you might notice day to day.
Other forms of the disease can continue to grow for more than 10 years undetected, which can make treatment very difficult by that stage. These cancers still have symptoms - they're just similar to other, less serious health conditions, and can easily be overlooked when getting checked out.
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However, there are three types of cancer that are particularly hard to spot.
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, but has the lowest survival rate of any common cancer in the UK, according to the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK. More than half of people diagnosed with the disease die within the next three months following the news.
The pancreas is a large gland that is part of the digestive system, located behind the stomach and under the liver. According to the NHS, the five signs of the disease that could be mistaken for another condition, or niggle, include persistent stomach ache, backache, indigestion, unexplained weight loss, and bowel habit changes.
Other symptoms that might be more obvious include jaundice, difficulty swallowing, and vomiting. Patients may also suffer the symptoms of diabetes because pancreatic disease stops the production of insulin.
Only around 10 percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can have surgery to remove the cancer, which makes the chance of being cured of the disease much harder.
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is another of the most common forms of cancer in the UK, but can be very hard to detect. Symptoms often only become noticeable once the disease has evolved to an advanced stage, when the cancer is much harder to treat.
Therefore, catching ovarian cancer early is very important. While we should always be aware of any new changes in our body, the NHS said there were two red flag symptoms of the illness that you might notice while in the bathroom - constipation and diarrhoea.
Cancer Research UK also suggested you visit your doctor if you start feeling full quickly, or completely lose your appetite, feel pain in your tummy, notice bloating, or need to wee more often.
Bowel cancer
This form of cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, after lung cancer - because it's so challenging to spot in the early, more treatable stages. According to Bowel Cancer UK, signs of the disease include bleeding from the back passage or changes in your normal bowel habits, such as looser poo, pooing more often, or constipation.
Doctors can sometimes feel a lump in your rectum or tummy, usually to the right-hand side. Feeling like you need to strain to poo even after opening your bowels could also be a sign. Rapid weight loss and pain in your tummy or back passage could also point to the disease.
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