Lung Cancer Symptoms - What Is It?
Symptoms of lung cancer may not appear until the cancer is in the advanced stages, making diagnosis difficult in many cases.
Therefore, it is mandatory for anyone who is at high risk of developing lung cancer that they be aware of the symptoms of the disease. If there is even the slightest suspicion that they may have lung cancer, they should immediately consult with their doctor.
Unsuspected Disease
Lung cancer does not usually produce any tell tale symptoms in earlier stages. Usually when symptoms do present they are related to the growth of the tumor or the spread of cancer to other areas of the body. In many cases, lung cancer is discovered when a chest x-ray is taken for another reason.
The problem with lung cancer not exhibiting symptoms early is that as the disease grows it gets more difficult to treat and the likelihood of it spreading to other parts of the body grows.
Sometimes what appears to be a chest cold or some other common respiratory illness, is actually a symptom of lung cancer. These symptoms can be difficult to notice as something more serious and ignored or treated with over the counter medication as a simple virus.
Signs
Lung cancer symptoms are usually similar to those you would feel with a common virus or infection. They include:
* A cough that will not go away
* Pains in the chest
* Difficulty breathing
Being informed and aware is the best way to catch lung cancer symptoms early. Watch out for the following:
* If you smoke or used to smoke and you suddenly develop a new cough
* A nagging cough that does not respond to cough medication
* A dull, persistent chest pain
* Gasping
* Roughness
* Repeated respiratory illness
Lung cancer symptoms can also vary depending on the type of cancer. Metastatic lung cancer tumors may react differently in the body and cause different symptoms. They can spread to the adrenal glands, the bones and even the brain. Most do not cause any symptoms.
Part of the reason why lung cancer has a high death rate is because it is very difficult to catch in the early stages.