Lung Cancer
Symptoms
You may not have any symptoms of lung cancer, or you may have symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath that you think are related to a respiratory illness. As a result, only about 16% of lung cancers are diagnosed early when treatment is most effective.1
Symptoms of lung cancer may include:
- A new cough or a cough that does not go away. Smokers who have a chronic cough from smoking may have a change in how severe their cough is or how much they cough.
- Chest, shoulder, or back pain that does not go away and often gets worse with deep breathing.
- New wheezing.
- Shortness of breath.
- Hoarseness.
- Coughing up blood or bloody mucus.
- Swelling in the neck and face.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Weight loss and loss of appetite.
- Increasing fatigue and weakness.
- Recurring respiratory infections, such as pneumonia.
- Clubbing of the fingers and toes. The nails appear to bulge out more than normal.
Lung cancer may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. The most common sites are the bones, the brain, the liver, the other lung, the lining of the heart (pericardium), and the adrenal glands. When lung cancer spreads, other symptoms may also occur.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the spine or bones may include:
- Bone pain.
- Weakness or numbness of the arms or legs.
- Back pain.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the brain may include:
- Seizures.
- Headaches.
- Change in alertness.
- Vision changes.
- Nausea or vomiting.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the liver or lymph nodes may include:
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
- Lumps or bumps under the skin or enlarged lymph nodes.
- Decreased appetite.
- Weight loss.
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| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: June 12, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Michael Seth Rabin, MD - Medical Oncology | |
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