These cues aren’t dramatic; they’re persistent, building like a slow fog. Inflammation flares, hormones shift, waste backs up—cancer’s groundwork. Research shows 70% of diagnoses come after ignored symptoms. Blame busy lives, denial, or “it’s nothing.” But for every overlooked twinge, risks rise—metastasis odds jump 50% with delay. Picture your cells rallying for help. First: The tiredness that steals your spark.

Sign #12: Unexplained, Persistent Fatigue

Imagine collapsing on the couch after a full night’s sleep, limbs heavy as lead, eyelids drooping mid-task. For Sarah, 52, a teacher from Ohio, it started as “mom burnout”—until labs lit up with leukemia markers. Cancer saps energy as tumors hijack blood, starving tissues. Studies link it to 40% of early colon cases too. That bone-deep drag? Not normal. Weight vanishes next.

Sign #11: Sudden, Unintentional Weight Loss