Adenocarcinoma: Warning Signs by Organ Site and When to Investigate

Common Manifestations (Adenocarcinoma Arises from Glandular Epithelium)

Symptoms depend on primary site:

Site	Typical Signs/Symptoms
Colorectal	Change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, anemia, abdominal pain, weight loss
Lung	Cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, weight loss, pleural effusion
Stomach	Epigastric pain, early satiety, nausea, weight loss, melena
Pancreas	Jaundice, epigastric/back pain, weight loss, new-onset diabetes, steatorrhea
Breast	Palpable mass, skin/nipple changes, discharge
Prostate	Often asymptomatic; urinary symptoms, bone pain if metastatic
Esophagus	Dysphagia, weight loss, odynophagia, reflux

General Constitutional Symptoms

• Unexplained weight loss (>5% in 6 months)
• Persistent fatigue
• Low-grade fever
• Lymphadenopathy

Action

Any persistent (>2 weeks) concerning symptom warrants clinical evaluation: history, exam, labs, imaging (CT, MRI, PET), endoscopy, and tissue biopsy for definitive diagnosis. Early detection dramatically improves outcomes.