A cancer specialist has highlighted the key physical signs that could be early indicators of the disease – urging people to pay attention to their bodies.

Dr Leigh Erin Connealy, Medical Director of California‘s Center for New Medicine, named the five symptoms she most commonly see in her practice.

‘Common ways patients find cancer in their body is with a lump (or) a bump,’ she explained in a video shared to her social media accounts.

She added that persistent difficulty swallowing, unexplained pain in the back, and abdominal swelling are also all warning signs ‘pay attention’ to.

Dr Connealy, author of The Cancer Revolution, shared further advice on recognising early symptoms, explaining that staying aware of subtle changes is often the best path to early diagnosis.

‘I would say that in the majority of patients I see, they were the ones who found their cancer first,’ she wrote in the caption.

‘We know our bodies better than anyone else does. It’s important to tune in and listen – symptoms are never random; they’re messages.

‘Long before an official diagnosis, the body is often communicating that something is off.’

Beyond the five main physical warning signs, Dr Connealy recommends watching for other red flags, such as unexplained weight loss, lasting fatigue, changes in appetite, or pain that refuses to go away.

If you notice these symptoms, especially alongside unusual lumps or bumps, she advises taking them seriously.

‘These are all forms of feedback – signals that something in our internal environment needs attention,’ she explained.

‘The body isn’t betraying us, but asking for support, nourishment, and change so that healing can begin.’

So what should you do if something ‘doesn’t feel right’? Dr Connealy suggests a four-step approach.

Firstly, start taking notes. ‘Track changes – when they started, what makes them better or worse.’

Then, book an appointment to have your symptoms checked by a doctor.

‘Get things evaluated early. Don’t wait for reassurance from someone else if your intuition is nudging you.’

Dr Connealy’s next piece of advice is what she calls ‘support your terrain’.

‘Focus on rest, sunlight, nutrient-dense food, and lowering stress to give your body better resilience while you seek answers,’ she advised. ‘A lot can be resolved by following the laws of nature.’

Finally, the cancer specialist recommended continuously staying in tune with your body and noting any ‘messages’ it’s trying to tell you via signs and symptoms.

‘Stay curious, not fearful. The earlier we respond to the body’s messages, the easier it is to restore balance,’ she said.

‘Your body is intelligent – every symptom is part of a feedback loop guiding you back toward balance.’

This advice echoes recent recommendations from vascular surgeon Dr Rema Malikbased in Houston, Texas.

Dr Malik recently revealed the ‘one piece of wisdom that could save you from years of chronic pain or a future medical emergency’.

And it all revolves around the subtle signals or ‘whispers’ your body is sending out or giving off that may signify a bigger problem.

‘Your body is a brilliant communicator. It doesn’t go from perfectly healthy to a crisis overnight. First, it whispers,’ she explained.

Subtle signs to look out for

Dr Malik, who specialises in blood vessel conditions, provided examples of the types of subtle signs the bodies give, which are often ignored ‘for months’.

‘That new, persistent ache in your legs at the end of the day,’ the doctor suggested as an example. ‘The swelling in your ankles that leaves marks from your socks.’

Another surprising sign the expert highlighted was a ‘predictable cramp’ that strikes when you walk a certain distance.

Dr Malik explained that many of us are likely to entirely ignore or find short-term solutions for these kinds of issues, when in fact we should be taking action and investigating any underlying health issues that may be developing.

‘We ignore these whispers because they’re quiet and inconvenient. We wait for the scream,’ she explained.

The ‘scream’ the doctor is referring to is a major health episode – and she insists that waiting for this moment before taking action can have ‘devastating consequences’.

‘The scream is the non-healing wound, the debilitating pain, the blood clot, the heart attack, or the stroke,’ Dr Malik said.

For those aged over 40, the doctor emphasised the need to train yourself not to simply ignore persistent, pesky health signs but to start noticing and investigating them further with your doctor.

‘Learning to listen to these whispers is a critical life skill, especially after age 40, when the body’s warning signals for vascular disease become more common and far more urgent,’ Dr Malik stressed.

‘The greatest act of self-care is to take your own body’s messages seriously.’