Lung cancer can also cause a hoarse voice, back pain, and other less common symptoms.

Each patient with lung cancer is different.

This article covers the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.

It also discusses complications of lung cancer.

Frequent Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer are not obvious at first.

You might think that they are being triggered by a more common condition.

It usually lasts longer than a few weeks.

Around 50% of people have a persistent cough when they are diagnosed with lung cancer.

People who use tobacco might just think it’s “smoker’s cough.”

You might not recognize that you’re short of breath at first.

You might also find yourself blaming the humidity or other factors for your shortness of breath.

If you have recurrent chest infections, your provider can run some tests.

One test, called chest computed tomography (chestCT scan) can help spot lung cancer.

It’s better than achest X-ray, which canmiss lung cancerup to 25% of the time.

Coughing Up Blood

Coughing up blood(hemoptysis) is a common symptom of lung cancer.

It occurs in about a fifth of lung cancer patients.

In some cases, it’s the first symptom a person has.

A person could easily miss or ignore a small spot of blood on a tissue.

Even if it starts out mild, coughing up blood can quickly get serious.

If you’ve coughed up a few teaspoons of blood, you need medical care right away.

Shoulder and Arm Pain

Shoulder pain can be a symptom of lung cancer.

Tumors in the upper parts of the lungs are calledPancoast tumors.

Chest Pain

Chest paincan feel different to different people.

Some people say it feels more likelung pain, while others say they havepain when taking a deep breath.

This symptom is common even in the early stage of lung cancer.

That’s why the pain feels like it’s coming from the lungs even though it’s not.

You may have referred pain in your lungs from another organ.

Back Pain

Back painis easy to miss because there are many more common reasons for back pain.

Back pain from lung cancer is usually:

What Other Cancers Can Cause Back Pain?

However, it’s important to note that most back pain is not brought on by cancer.

Fatigue

Feeling tired all of the time is a frequent complaint of people with lung cancer.

So-called “cancer fatigue” is different from feeling tired.

Some people describe it as whole-body fatigue or even exhaustion.

This kind of tiredness doesn’t get better after a good night’s sleep or a cup of coffee.

There are a couple of reasons why this can happen.

One reason is that tumors in the chest can put pressure on the vocal cords (larynx).

Wheezing

There is a saying that “all that wheezes is not asthma.”

It’s good to keep that in mind, as lung cancer can also cause wheezing.

Wheezing related to lung cancer tends not to be generalized like it is with asthma.

Paraneoplastic Syndromes

Some lung cancers release hormone-like substances that can cause certain symptoms.

When this group of symptoms happens, it’s called paraneoplastic syndrome.

Paraneoplastic syndromes occur in around 10% to 20% of people with lung cancer.

It’s most common in people withsmall cell lung cancer.

The syndrome can start before the symptoms of the disease do.

There are many paraneoplastic syndromes and each can cause a variety of symptoms.

However, an important one that doesn’t have a medical name is your intuition.

Many people recall that before their diagnosis they had a “gut feeling” that something was wrong.

Talk to your healthcare providereven if it’s just for reassurance and peace of mind.

Complications of lung cancer usually happen after a person is diagnosed.

When this happens, it causes the blood flow to that vein to become fully or partially blocked.

This is calledsuperior vena cava (SVC) syndrome.

This can cause swelling of the face, neck, and arms.

A person may also have veins in the neck and chest that look bigger than normal (dilated).

Similarly, the symptoms of lung cancer in never-smokers and young adults can be different.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

One example issquamouscell carcinoma.

Men are more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma than women.

They may experience more obvious prominent symptoms early on in the disease.

Lung Adenocarcinoma

Another example islungadenocarcinoma.

It is the most common throw in of lung cancer overall.

It’s also most common in women, young adults, and people who do not smoke.

These cancers usually happen in the outer regions of the lungs.

They can grow very big before causing symptoms.

The first symptom ofadenocarcinomais often shortness of breath because the tumor takes over lung tissue.

If you have risk factors for lung cancer, knowing the signs and symptoms is important.

Tell your healthcare provider about them right away if they appear.

However, 10% to 20% of people who develop lung cancer have never smoked.

Lung cancer in never-smokers is the 7th-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide.

So talk with your healthcare provider about whether screening is the right option for you.

Summary

The signs and symptoms of lung cancer can be related to the lungs or other organs.

Some of the early symptoms are common and can have other causes that are not cancer.

If the cancer has spread, symptoms that come from different body symptoms can show up.

For example, a person with lung cancer that’s spread to the brain might have headaches.

Complications of lung cancer usually happen after a person finds out they have cancer.

Sometimes, complications happen sooner and might be what leads to a diagnosis of lung cancer.

Tumors can spread to thethoracic spineor other bones and cause pain.

Womenare more likely to have lung adenocarcinoma.The symptoms of this punch in of lung cancer include:

No.

As lung cancer tumors grow, they can put pressure on the spine and chest.

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