What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasizing to the lungs?

What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastases to the lungs?

1. Symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma lung metastasis are mostly located in the middle and outer zones of the lung fields on both sides, and the chances of metastasis in the left and right lungs are equal. It is often multiple metastasis, and the lesions are round with smooth edges. About 5% of cases are solitary nodules, which should be differentiated from primary lung cancer.

2. Early lung metastasis is often asymptomatic. Most patients will experience cough, chest pain and shortness of breath when they are found to have multiple and large lung metastases or tumors invading the pleura and causing pleural effusion during routine chest X-ray examinations. Some patients may be misdiagnosed as "stomach disease" because of pain in the left upper abdomen caused by left lung metastasis involving the pleura. Patients with such symptoms should undergo routine chest X-ray examinations to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment.

3. Most patients have no symptoms, but a few have symptoms such as cough, bloody sputum, chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fever, etc. If the mediastinum is involved, it often compresses the recurrent laryngeal nerve and causes hoarseness. In the later stage, pleural effusion and severe dyspnea may also occur.

4. Because the lungs are the last filter that the blood must pass through, the pressure of the pulmonary circulation is low, and the blood flow is slow, which is conducive to the retention and reproduction of cancer cells. In addition, the lungs have rich blood sources and receive dual blood supply from the pulmonary artery and bronchial artery. Therefore, the lungs are also a common site for distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.