Lung Cancer Symptoms - Are you affected?

Lung cancer is diagnosed in approximately 180,000 Americans each year. Here you will find a list of lung cancer symtopms. It will probably help you to get some clarification about the situation you are in.

In some cases there are no prior symptoms of lung cancer or you may have seemingly harmless symptoms (for example a cough) that you think are related to a respiratory illness. Because of this only about 16% of lung cancers are diagnosed early when lung cancer treatment is most effective. Lung Cancer Symptoms can include the following:

  • hemoptysis (coughing up blood) Many lung cancers have a prosperous blood supply. The cancer surface is sometimes delicate, leading to bleeding from the cancer into the airway. This blood may subsequently be coughed up.
  • Increasing fatigue and weakness.
  • shoulder, back or chest pain that doesn't go away. Tumors can put pressure of blood vessels, not allowing fluids to to travel throughout the body as they normally would. The fluids then build up, causing swellings.
  • dyspnea (shortness of breath) and recurring infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The growth of the cancer can obstruct the airway, causing breathing difficulties / asthma. This can lead to accumulation of secretions behind the blockage, predisposing the patient to pneumonia.
  • loss of appetite and weight loss
  • Hoarseness. (This is a very common symptom of lung cancer.)
  • Difficulty swallowing.

 


Cancer