Roughly, cancer symptoms can be divided into three groups: Local symptoms: unusual lumps or swelling (tumor), hemorrhage (bleeding), trouble and/or ulceration. Compression of surrounding tissues may cause symptoms such as icterus (yellowing the eyes and skin).

Symptoms cancer of metastasis (spreading): enlarged lymph nodes, cough and hemoptysis, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), bone pain, fracture of unnatural bones and neurological symptoms.

Although advanced cancer may cause pain, it is often not the first symptom.

Systemic symptoms: weight loss, poor appetite, fatigue and cachexia (wasting), excessive sweating (night sweats), anemia and specific paraneoplastic phenomena, i.e. specific conditions that are owed to an supple cancer, such as thrombosis or hormonal changes.