Excessive night sweats may be an early sign of at least 6 types of cancer.
Night sweats are also associated with a number of serious illnesses, including cancer, says general practitioner Chun Tang, from Pall Mall Medical in the UK.
This phenomenon is also likely to be a side effect of some cancer treatments.
Cardiologist Mehmet Oz also said that a range of cancers have symptoms of night sweats including leukemia, lymphoma, carcinoid tumors, liver cancer, bone cancer and mesothelioma.
According to Dr. Oz, night sweats associated with cancer tend to be prolonged, profuse, and even require changing clothes.
A few other reasons for sweating are pregnancy, certain bacterial infections, low blood sugar, hyperthyroidism, stress, anxiety, and certain medications.
Doctors give the example of lymphoma, which often leads to fever because the cancer cells produce substances that cause the body’s temperature to rise. Leukemia also causes the same phenomenon. Leukemia limits the number of immune cells the body produces. Therefore, you are more likely to get infected.
For liver cancer, large liver tumors can use up blood sugar, causing low blood sugar. When that happens, the body will produce excess adrenaline, which leads to sweating. In addition, carcinoid tumors can secrete serotonin, making sweating and flushing more likely, says David Beatty, MD, a general practitioner with over 30 years of experience.
Cancer patients often have other symptoms that accompany night sweats.
According to Dr. Tang, cancer symptoms that accompany night sweats include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, heavy bruising and fever.
