CAUTION! Consider Cancer: Common Symptoms and Signs for Early Detection of Cancer in Young Adults

Because young adults frequently have longer delays in diagnosis of their cancers than younger or older persons, healthcare providers who encounter this age group should become more aware of diagnostic clues for early detection. The spectrum of cancer types and their relative frequencies is distinctly different in young adults than the array in younger and older persons, such that the symptoms and signs in aggregate are distinctly different. Of potential value in recognizing manifestations of cancer in young adults is a mnemonic-friendly list of seven symptoms each represented by a letter in CAUTION, and seven sites of signs starting with the letter B. These aids have the potential of assisting in early detection, accurate diagnosis, longer survival, and a reduced risk of premature death.