Symtoms for lung cancer?

Question

Curious

Answer 1

General symptoms of lung cancer
The symptoms of lung cancer can be


Having a cough most of the time
A change in a cough you have had for a long time
Being short of breath
Coughing up phlegm (sputum) with signs of blood in it
An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Losing weight
Less common symptoms of lung cancer
There are other symptoms of lung cancer that are less common. They are usually associated with more advanced lung cancer. You may have


A hoarse voice
Difficulty swallowing
Swelling of the face caused by a blockage of a main blood vessel from the head (SVCO)
Swelling in the neck caused by enlarged lymph nodes
Pain or discomfort under your ribs on your right side (from the liver)
Shortness of breath caused by fluid around the lungs (called pleural effusion)




SVCO
SVCO stands for superior vena cava obstruction. The vena cava is a large vein that carries blood from the brain and head back to the heart. If it is blocked, there is a build up behind the blockage causing fluid to seep out from the bloodstream and collect in the tissues of the face, causing swelling.

All of these symptoms can be caused by other diseases apart from lung cancer. So, you should always see your doctor if you are worried about any symptoms. You may have a chest infection, or other illness that is easily treatable. If you do have lung cancer, the earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat it.

Pancoast tumours
Doctors sometimes call lung cancer that is growing right at the top of the lung a 'pancoast tumour'. These tumours can cause very specific symptoms. The most common is severe shoulder pain. They can also cause a collection of symptoms called 'Horner's syndrome'. These are


Drooping or weakness of one eyelid
Small pupil in that eye
Loss of sweating on that same side of the face
These symptoms of Horner's syndrome are caused by the tumour pressing on or damaging a nerve that runs up from the neck to that side of the face.

Odd symptoms of lung cancer
Sometimes lung cancer cells produce hormones that get into the bloodstream. These hormones can produce strange symptoms that you may not realise are anything to do with lung cancer. You may hear your doctor call these 'paraneoplastic symptoms' or say you have 'paraneoplastic syndrome'. These hormone related symptoms include


Pins and needles or numbness in fingers or toes
Muscle weakness
Drowsiness, weakness, dizziness or confusion
Breast swelling in men
Tendency to have blood clots (thrombosis)
These symptoms are rarely caused by lung cancer. But they can be. So it is important you tell your doctor about any new symptoms you have noticed. They may be nothing to do with your cancer and so your mind can be put at rest. If they are, then they can treat them and help you to feel better.

Answer 2

Symptoms of lung cancer are varied dependent upon where and how wide-spread the tumor is. A person with lung cancer may have the following kinds of symptoms:

No symptoms - In up to 25% of people who get lung cancer, the cancer is first discovered on a routine chest x-ray or CT scan as a solitary small mass sometimes called a coin lesion. These patients with small single masses often report no symptoms of lung cancer at the time it is discovered.

Answer 3

My mother has had treatment for Lung Cancer and she had no symptoms she was lucky it was picked up by mistake , the best thing to do is go to the Roy Castle Web site it is a really informative site it will tell you all you need to know about Lung Cancer

Barefoot
i just would like to say not everyone who has lung Cancer smokes my mother doesn`t

Answer 4

contrary to belief, smoking is not a direct cause for lung cancer, it is a contributary cause. If you are going to get lung cancer, smoking will bring the symptoms forward by a few years either way you will still get it. thus why non smokers suffer from cancer too.

As for symptoms, my dad has just been diagnosed with cancer and it started with a very non productive cough. You will not have any phlegm in your cough however if you do see blood and it is fresh, you must see a doctor immediately.

Answer 5

Having just lost my mum to lung cancer some of the symptoms she developed were the following.
Dramatic weight loss
Loss of appetite
Tiredness
Trouble swallowing
Hoarse voice-in mum's case she actually lost her voice completely as the tumour was crushing her voice box!
A cough that would not go away
Pains in her shoulder
Sadly mum had stage 4 lung cancer and passed away on Jan 6th 07!

Answer 6

Its not as simple as that.. My friend was coughing up blood, he smokes a lot and parties hard and hes not young, but the docs have told him his lungs are clear and they dont know what it is.
He was like this for a week, but it did stop eventually. The medical world is a mystery, everybodys different.

Answer 7

The symptoms you are experiencing (if it IS you we're talking about) may not necessarily be cancer. These symptoms can be connected to many different illnesses/diseases & you would need the opinion of a GP to determine whether or not you need further treatment.

Answer 8

This is not really useful question. If you have concerns about a chest problem you need to see your GP who will take a history, which you have not given here, examine you and perhaps organise a chest x-ray.

Answer 9

persistent cough which can be dry and irritating or productive.

coughing up blood, nausea, weight loss, pain in chest/ ribs, lethargy. Breathlessness.

However it would be best to see your gp if you are concerned.

Answer 10

Smoking. Everyone with lung cancer smokes, so it MUST be a symptom... right?