Symptoms of lung cancer are not as a rule noticeable during early stages of the disease because the first symptoms to appear are frequently comparable to those of other, non-malignant respiratory illnesses.
Although generally lung cancers don't cause any symptoms until they have spread too far to be cured, there are typical symptoms occurring in some people with early lung cancer.
If someone with early lung cancer was to go to their health care consultant when they first noticed their symptoms, there would be a possibility their cancer would be diagnosed and treated whilst at a curable stage, so anyone experiencing any of the following problems or symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
Common signs and symptoms of lung cancer include:
When lung cancer spreads to distant organs, it may well cause:
Horner's syndrome
A tumour in the upper part of the lungs sometimes injures a nerve passing from the upper chest into the neck. Doctors sometimes call these cancers Pancoast tumours. A common symptom of a Pancoast tumour is a severe pain in the shoulder.
These tumours can also cause Horner's syndrome. Horner's syndrome is a medical term for a group of symptoms which consist of drooping or weakness of one eyelid, reduced or absent perspiration on the same side of the face and the pupil in the eye on the affected side becoming smaller.
Paraneoplastic syndromes
Other lung cancers produce hormone-like substances which enter the bloodstream causing problems with remote tissues and organs. The cancer doesn't have to spread to those tissues or organs for them to be affected.
These secondary problems are called Paraneoplastic or tumour-related syndromes. Often these symptoms may be the first warning sign of early lung cancer. Unfortunately these symptoms affect other organs, so patients and their doctors often suspect other diseases before cancer is tested for.
People with small cell lung cancer and those with non-small cell lung cancer frequently have diverse Paraneoplastic syndromes.
The most common Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with small cell lung cancer are:
Other syndromes include
Although generally lung cancers don't cause any symptoms until they have spread too far to be cured, there are typical symptoms occurring in some people with early lung cancer.
If someone with early lung cancer was to go to their health care consultant when they first noticed their symptoms, there would be a possibility their cancer would be diagnosed and treated whilst at a curable stage, so anyone experiencing any of the following problems or symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
Common signs and symptoms of lung cancer include:
- A cough that doesn't disappear and gets worse over a period of time
- Constant pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood
- Frequent problems with pneumonia, bronchitis or other related respiratory problems.
- Puffiness round the neck and face
- Gross exhaustion
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing and/or gasping
- Huskiness when speaking
- Loss of appetite
- Mysterious weight loss
When lung cancer spreads to distant organs, it may well cause:
- Bony pain
- Neurological changes (such as weakness or lack of feeling of a limb, giddiness, or onset of a seizure)
- Jaundice (which is a yellow colouring of the skin and eyes)
- Tumerous masses near the surface of the body, due to cancer spreading to the skin or to lymph nodes (collection of immune system cells) in the neck or above the collarbone.
Horner's syndrome
A tumour in the upper part of the lungs sometimes injures a nerve passing from the upper chest into the neck. Doctors sometimes call these cancers Pancoast tumours. A common symptom of a Pancoast tumour is a severe pain in the shoulder.
These tumours can also cause Horner's syndrome. Horner's syndrome is a medical term for a group of symptoms which consist of drooping or weakness of one eyelid, reduced or absent perspiration on the same side of the face and the pupil in the eye on the affected side becoming smaller.
Paraneoplastic syndromes
Other lung cancers produce hormone-like substances which enter the bloodstream causing problems with remote tissues and organs. The cancer doesn't have to spread to those tissues or organs for them to be affected.
These secondary problems are called Paraneoplastic or tumour-related syndromes. Often these symptoms may be the first warning sign of early lung cancer. Unfortunately these symptoms affect other organs, so patients and their doctors often suspect other diseases before cancer is tested for.
People with small cell lung cancer and those with non-small cell lung cancer frequently have diverse Paraneoplastic syndromes.
The most common Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with small cell lung cancer are:
- SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate ant-diuretic hormone) which causes the salt levels in the blood to become very low.
Other syndromes include
- A production of substances in the body causing blood clots to form. Mainly these clots occur in the veins of the legs leading to deep vein thrombosis, but they can also clog up important blood vessels and disrupt the blood flow to the limbs, lungs, brain, and other internal organs.
- A mysterious loss of sense of balance and unsteadiness in arm and leg movements.
- Hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels), which may cause urinary frequency, constipation, general weakness, giddiness, confusion, and nervous system problems.
- Excess growth of certain bones can occur which can sometimes be painful. This is especially a problem in the finger tips.
- A production of substances which triggers clotting in the blood, this can lead to blood clots.
- Excessive breast growth in men.
