lung cancer symptoms | Lung Cancer: How to recognize it?

Lung Cancer: How to recognize it?

The first symptoms of lung cancer unfortunately appear late, when the tumor is already well installed. Some signs however can attract attention, which allows to make the diagnosis as early as possible and to treat in stride.

Summary
Symptoms of lung cancer
Paraneoplastic syndromes of lung cancer
Symptoms of metastasis
Symptoms of lung cancer
Symptoms of lung cancer
In the early stages of lung cancer, the disease is devoid of symptoms. The tumor is too small to cause any sign but as it grows, symptoms may appear, the most obvious of which are coughing or shortness of breath. But be careful, other ailments can cause the same symptoms. The tumor can be discovered by chance during an X-ray of the thorax. The main symptoms of small cell lung cancer (CBPC) and non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) are the same:

A cough that intensifies and persists;
Shortness of breath: onset or aggravation;
Wheezing or "wheezing";
Constant chest pain that increases when inhaled or coughed;
Blood in the mucus in the sputum expelled during coughing (hemoptysis);
Bronchial infections (bronchitis, pneumonia) that persist or continue to reappear despite antibiotics;
Loss of weight and appetite
unusual or persistent fatigue;
A hoarseness or voice changes (Dysphonia).

Paraneoplastic syndromes of lung cancer
Beyond the obvious symptoms, some are related to the release of substances by tumor cells and affect the proper functioning of other organs or tissues. We are talking about paraneoplastic syndromes. Small cell cancer causes is more likely to cause it than non-small cell cancer.

A difficulty swallowing related to compression of the esophagus (dysphagia);
swollen lymph nodes in the neck and over the clavicle;
pleural effusion (fluid accumulation in the lungs-pleurisy);
The presence of stagnant fluid between the 2 leaves of the pericardium, a membrane surrounding the heart (pericardial);
Bone pain
Headaches
A set of protests with swelling of the face and neck, headaches, apparent veins on the upper part of the thorax. The compression of the upper vena cava is at issue. This is the "upper cellar compression syndrome". This is a medical emergency.
Hormonal or blood disorders (calcium, sodium,...) may be caused by the release of certain substances from tumor cells.

Hypercalcemia is related to too much calcium in the blood. Too much calcium results in weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, increased thirst, frequent urination, confusion, difficulty thinking;

Inappropriate antidiuresis syndrome (SIAD) is linked to an excess of antidiuretic hormone (ADH): muscle weakness and cramps, agitation, confusion, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Cushing's syndrome is linked to a large amount of corticosteroids: high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, round face, lean arms and legs, muscle weakness... and sometimes a weight gain that causes the appearance of brands Violets on the stomach;

Horner's syndrome can be a sign of lung cancer, when the nerves on top of the lung have been invaded (a stroke can result in the same symptoms): severe pain in the shoulder and arm; Sagging or weakness of the eyelid (ptosis) or shrinking of the pupil (Miosis); Retraction of the eyeball that appears to be embedded in the orbit (Enophthalmos) and absent or very low transpiration on the same side of the face as the affected eye;

Lambert-Eaton syndrome is linked to the absence of a chemical that transmits messages between muscles and nerves: muscle weakness, loss of movement, difficulty in chewing, climbing stairs or lifting objects;

Degeneration cerebellar paraneoplastic remains rare. It translates an abnormal immune system reaction that will attack the cells of the central nervous system: dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, slightly blurred vision, rapid eye movements, problems to talk or swallow, and tremors .

Symptoms of metastasis

In advanced forms, the initial tumor can spread at reaching other organs. These metastases can cause symptoms in other areas of the body. For lung cancer, the most common metastases are:

Brain metastases, causing headaches and confusion;

Bone metastases that can cause pain in the arms, legs and back;

Metastasis in the liver causing jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, fever, itching...

For a smoker, the mistake is to believe that a systematic cough in the morning, recurrent bronchitis, shortness of breath and constant fatigue are normal symptoms. These signs should lead you to consult. In the event of an anomaly detected, it is then up to the doctor to judge the interest to pursue or not the explorations. For example by requesting a scanner that detects smaller tumours (more relevant than an X-ray that will visualize only the masses of more than 1 cm) and possibly a biopsy, i.e. a collection of cells at the image level Suspect to be able to diagnose.