Is Rash § Itching A Symptom Of Cancer?

[bgreen]

My father died from stomach cancer 4 years ago. I remember that right before he was diagnosed with stomach cancer he broke out in an itching rash all over his body. The rash looked like little bug bites and he thought at the time that's what it was.

The same thing has just happened to me. I have some kind of rash all over my body that itches and looks like little bug bites. So of course I'm being a hypocondriac and worrying that maybe this is some pre-cursor to some form of cancer?

Is an itching rash like this common to cancer patients or I am just being paranoid?

[AnnaFrank]

You didn't mention if you had any other symptoms. I would think that if cancer was a possibility, you would have other problems. My uncle has stomach cancer and has never mentioned any kind of rash.  I have read that leukemia patients sometimes break out in a rash, althought I don't know if it itches as well.  Rashes can mean many different things.  Have you recently come in contact with anything, like a new detergent, food (shellfish), plant, etc.?  I have asthma and just learned that it's not unusual for asthmatics to have sensitive skin.  Every couple of years, I seem to break out in an extremely itchy rash (diagnosed as contact dermatitis).  It's usually due to food or a plant I've come in contact with.

I think that, for your own peace of mind, you might want to discuss your concerns with you family physician.

I hope this helps.