Lung Cancer Symptoms

Lung cancer is one of the major causes of deaths. It is brought about by excessive smoking. Even if you don’t smoke, if you are always exposed to second hand smoke, asbestos and radon, you are likely to develop lung cancer. It is a disease where cancer cells develop in the lungs’ tissue. It spreads in other parts of the body, usually to the bones, brain, liver, heart lining (pericardium) and adrenal glands.

Generally, early stages of lung cancer don’t have signs or symptoms. It is detected on their later stages which generally include:

• Persistent cough or changes in chronic cough or "smoker's cough"
• Chest pain
• Breathing difficulties with wheezing and shortness of breath
• Hoarseness
• Coughing up of blood or bloody mucus or hemoptysis
• Shoulder pain and paralysis of the vocal cords
• Difficulty in swallowing and swelling of neck and face
• Persistent bronchitis or repeated respiratory infections such as pneumonia
• Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite and increasing fatigue and weakness
• Chest, shoulder and back pain that gets worse with deep breathing
• Clubbing of the fingers and toes where nails appear to bulge out than normal

Specific signs also appear depending on which organ the cancer has spread. Cancer signs and symptoms that spread to the spine or bones may include bone pains, weakness and numbness of the arms and legs and back pains.

Cancer that spreads to the brain is evident with seizures, headaches, change in alertness, vision changes, and nausea or vomiting.

Furthermore, cancers that spread to the liver or lymph nodes are characterized by jaundice, enlarged lymph nodes and lumps or bumps under the skin, decreased appetite and weight loss. Lung cancer can not be detected early on but if signs begin to show, head for medical treatment to prevent further spread of the cancer cells.