Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Early diagnosis of lung cancer is one of the key factors in improving the survival rate for those who are diagnosed. When lung cancer is caught in the first stages, the five year survival rate is 49%. The overall survival rate for those diagnosed with lung cancer is less than 15%. Knowing the signs and symptoms of lung cancer can prompt you to consult a doctor before lung cancer moves to later stages and becomes far more difficult to treat.
Up to 25% of those diagnosed with lung cancer report that they had no symptoms. The cancer is first discovered during a routine chest x-ray or CT scan. Most often, these cases involved a single small tumor called a coin lesion. This is the most treatable stage of lung cancer, and makes a powerful case for routine chest x-rays with your physical.
Symptoms related to the cancer
The symptoms of lung cancer are often related to the site of the cancerous lesions. Invasion of the lung tissues most often cause difficulty breathing, which may lead to shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, wheezing and coughing up blood. If the cancer has spread beyond the bronchia, there may be other related symptoms. For instance, if the cancer has invaded the esophagus, it may cause difficult swallowing. Cancer that has invaded the nerve tissues may cause paralysis of the vocal chords, or hoarseness. It may also cause shoulder pain that travels down the outside of the arm as the nerves are affected by the growth of the cancerous cells. If large areas of the bronchia are affected, it may cause a collapse of the lung, pneumonia, abscesses or other opportunistic infections.
There are also a number of non-specific symptoms that are often seen in all types of cancer. Those include weight loss, fatigue and weakness. There may be mood changes, including depression and irritability. Since the immune system is busy fighting an invader, opportunistic infections may set in and be difficult to shake.
When Should You Call a Doctor?
If you have any of the symptoms related to cancer, particularly if you smoke or have obstructive pulmonary disease, you should contact your health care provider and schedule an appointment. Especially call your doctor if you have any of the following:
New, persistent cough or worsening of a chronic cough
Persistent bronchitis
Repeated respiratory infections
Chest pain
Blood in your sputum
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue that is unrelated to exertion
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Your doctor can order chest x-rays and CT scans to determine what's causing the problem. Because some cancers can cause elevated hormone levels, he may also order diagnostic tests to check the levels of cortisol and calcium in your blood.
While the medical community is still debating the usefulness of annual chest x-rays and CT scans in detecting cancer in its earliest stages, being vigilant can pay off. Dismissing a persistent cough or frequent bouts with bronchitis as 'no big deal' may give lung cancer a chance to take hold and start to spread. The best indicator, say many health professionals, is instinct. If something feels 'not right', have it checked out. Far better to be safe than sorry.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.