Six clues of early lung cancer

Currently, the mortality rate of lung cancer continues to rise in countries around the world. One of the main reasons is that the early symptoms of lung cancer are not obvious and atypical, which can easily lead to missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. However, even the most cunning enemy will reveal clues. Here, we would like to remind everyone to pay attention to the following symptoms.

1. Cough is the most common symptom:

Hemoptysis is the most diagnostically significant, and is often accompanied by blood in the sputum. Anyone who has respiratory symptoms that do not heal after treatment for more than two weeks, especially patients with blood in sputum, dry cough, or elderly patients with chronic bronchitis, or who has a recent change in the sound or nature of their cough, should be highly alert to the possibility of lung cancer. If a chest X-ray is found to be abnormal during a physical examination, such as fibroproliferative lesions after recovery from tuberculosis, follow-up should be done every year. If the lesions become larger, the possibility of lung scar cancer should be further excluded. If pneumonia occurs repeatedly in the same area, you should also be alert to lung cancer.

2. Bone and joint symptoms:

The bones and joints become swollen and painful, and the ends of the fingers and toes swell and become clubbed. In severe cases, the movement of the joints of the limbs may be affected.

3. Shoulder and back pain:

Lung cancer that grows at the apex of the lung is prone to invade bones and joints, nerves and muscles, pleura and chest wall.

4. Hoarseness:

Metastatic lesions compress the recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing hoarseness without sore throat or other symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection.

5. Head and face swelling:

This suggests the possibility of superior vena cava obstruction syndrome. About 5%-10% of lung cancer patients experience this as the first symptom.

6. Male Breast Hypertrophy:

About 10%-20% of male lung cancer patients will experience breast hypertrophy, most of which are bilateral, and the onset time is about one year earlier than lung symptoms such as cough and hemoptysis.