Lung cancer - signs and symptoms

Symptoms of lung cancer are varied depending on where and how and how widespread is tumor formation. The warning signs are sometimes hard to identify or even nonexistent. Lung cancer may have the following types of symptoms:

-without symptoms - around 25% of people ill in the early phase present no symptoms. The disease can be discovered in a routine (a ray or a CT scan), the tumor may be the size of a coin.

-appearance of the faction of the tumor and its tendency to develop metastases to organs cities give some symptoms, such as: breathing, wheezing, chest pain, coughing up blood. If the disease has appeared and invaded the surrounding nerves, may occur Pancoast's syndrome - shoulder pain, which descends to the outside arm or paralysis of vocal cords, which cause wheezing. Invasion of the esophagus results in difficulty swallowing. If the tumor obstructs the airways, it can cause collapse of parts of the lung; this leads to the formation of infection in that area: abscesses, pneumonia.

-symptoms caused by metastases - there are times when metastasis of lung cancer affects some bones - in this case appear severe pain in affected bones. If metastasis includes brain, neurological problems: head pain, headaches, seizures, blurred vision and stroke like symptoms: weakness, lack of sense of touch in certain areas of the body. -paraneoplastic symptoms: are indirect symptoms that result from disruption of hormone secretion: production of adrenocorticotrop hormone (ACTH), which leads to increased secretion of adrenal glands (Cushing's syndrome). The most common disorder caused by lung cancer is the secretion of parathyroid hormone-like substances, which recognizes the increasing level of calcium in the blood.

-non-specific symptoms: they are common to other cancers and are physical and mental: sudden weight loss, weakness and fatigue, depression, sudden changes of mood without cause, unjustified melancholy. Consult a doctor if: -is a persistent cough or worsen a chronic cough; -blood in the sputum appears; brose is ascertained or frequent respiratory infections; -is a persistent pain in the chest; -breathing difficulties, wheezing.