What are the ‘silent cancers’ that don’t have any symptoms?

As Kate, The Princess of Wales, reveals that her cancer diagnosis was discovered after she underwent abdominal surgery, Anna Magee looks at the subtle symptoms of cancer that are often mistaken for other things

It’s hard to know what’s going on inside our bodies without putting them under the microscope (Getty)

Lumps. Blood in your stools. Sudden weight loss. Most people know the big signs of cancer. But there are many common cancers that come with no, unusual, or lesser-known symptoms.

With nearly one in two of us set to experience cancer at some point in our lives, it’s helpful to be able to spot not only the symptoms of cancer that shout “Get checked now!” but also those that whisper, “This isn’t right, see your GP.”

It has now been revealed that, after the Princess of Wales had major abdominal surgery for a condition thought to be non-cancerous, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present. Similarly, it was revealed in February that King Charles has a form of cancer, identified after he was admitted to hospital to treat an enlarged prostate. Both Kate and Charles are now in the early stages of treatment for their illness.