Headaches, fatigue and memory lapses are everyday complaints for millions -typically dismissed as nothing more serious than stress or lack of sleep. 

But two experts have issued a warning that they are too often being dismissed when they are an early sign of a brain tumour.

The researchers from Queen Mary University London, Laura Standen a PhD student and Suzanne Scott a professor interviewed people diagnosed with cancer. 

They found a 'recurring pattern' - both GPs and patients 'often dismissed early symptoms - which led to delays in diagnosis'.

Catching a brain tumour early is vital for a better chance of survival, as only a quarter of people with late-stage tumours, known as glioblastomas, survive longer than a year.

Symptoms included: difficulty finding words, brain fog, numbness and tingling, visual disturbance, messy handwriting, personality changes and relenting headaches. 

While the researchers said 'most of the time' they 'have nothing to do with cancer', any 'unusual changes' that occur together or persist 'shouldn't be ignored'. 

It comes amid a worrying rise in brain cancers in the UK, with rates rising by over a quarter since the early 2000s. 

On the first warning sign, they wrote: 'Some people noticed they struggled to think of specific words, form full sentences or join in conversations without delay.'

'One patient said the experience felt 'odd and out of character', but they dismissed it at the time.'

Meanwhile, one who wrote down their symptoms as they 'couldn't say them out loud' told them they knew something was 'not quite right' but couldn't explain it to anyone.

They explained: 'Word-finding problems can sometimes be linked to fatigue, stress, or even anxiety—but when they persist or come on suddenly, they warrant further investigation.'

The second sign was 'brain fog' which patients described as a 'general fogginess' that presented as 'difficulty focusing, thinking clearly or remembering things'. 

'Brain fog can have many triggers including menopause, poor sleep or stress,' they explained.

'But when brain fog is accompanied by other neurological changes, such as speech or vision problems, it's important to take note.' 

One patient recalled: 'When symptoms came up, the answer was 'she's going through the menopause.'

The third symptom was numbness and tingling that that shifted around the body, and in two patients, was only experienced on one side.

'This can happen when a tumour affects the brain's sensory or motor control areas—the regions that send and receive signals to different parts of the body,' they said.

In one patient's case they experienced it in the lower left side of their face, half of their tongue and half of the inside of their mouth. 

Visual disturbances were the fourth symptom. One patient experienced double vision while watching TV while another saw straight lines as a curve.

The second patient said: 'I thought they'd sent us a load of dodgy mugs because they're all oval, and people kept looking at me going 'what are you going on about?''

Messy writing was the fifth symptom, which they explained is caused by 'changes in hand eye coordination'.

One patient told them: 'There was a time when I couldn't write. I was writing some notes in a meeting, and it just became really messy writing.'  

They warned while 'small coordination changes can sometimes be due to fatigue or distraction' if it is 'consistent' it could signal something more sinister.

'Consistent deterioration in writing, fine motor skills, or balance can signal problems with the brain's motor control areas,' they said.

These motor control areas, they explained 'coordinate movements such as writing or buttoning a shirt'. 

The sixth symptom was personality changes which involve 'altered behaviour or mood' that can be 'subtle but telling'. 

In general, they said 'it's natural for personality to fluctuate with life changes or stress.'

'But sudden or marked differences, especially alongside other symptoms, may indicate something more,' they warned. 

One patient, they said, who put irritability and loss of motivation down to burnout, told them: 'I didn't really put two and two together.  

'I just wanted to retire because I was fed up.'

The final symptom was headaches, which they explained are 'usually nothing to worry about'.

But for some of the patients they spoke with, they said 'the pain was constant and unrelenting, lasting for weeks'.

One patient said: 'It was lasting over a week, and it was pretty much coming on daily.' 

While symptoms depend on where the tumour is in the brain, they said patients all shared the same message 'if something doesn't feel normal for you, get it checked out'. 

They added: 'Because symptoms are so varied and often overlap with everyday conditions, diagnosis is difficult.' 

Their research, they explained, investigates whether new tools can help GPs identify potential brain tumours earlier.

'These include cognitive function tests, which can assess memory and language skills and liquid biopsies,' they said.

Liquid biopsies are tests that search for fragments of tumour DNA that may be circulating in the bloodstream.

Famous figures who have had brain tumours include Davina McCall and The Wanted singer Tom Parker.

There are 13,000 new cases and 5,500 deaths - equivalent to 15 every day - in the Britain each year. 

The TV presenter Davina McCall previously revealed she initially resisted the health check that uncovered her brain tumour.

She later underwent surgery as doctors operated to remove the cyst, which medics feared could cause serious problems if it grew bigger.

Her operation in November last year was successful and a 'final MRI' scan showed it was 'not coming back'. 

However, The Wanted singer Tom Parker who had a stage four glioblastoma—an aggressive and cancerous tumour—died after battling the illness in March 2022.