What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 05, 2024
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The most common symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, particularly irritating coughs, and symptoms of coughing up blood. The blood in the sputum may appear as spots, streaks, or intermittent small amounts. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing and chest pain, as well as potential tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and fever. Secondly, if lung cancer grows within the thoracic cavity and spreads, invading nearby tissues and organs, it can produce secondary symptoms. For example, paralysis of the phrenic nerve on the same side may lead to difficulty breathing and belching. Compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause hoarseness; compression of the superior vena cava can lead to distended veins in the face, neck, and upper limbs; subcutaneous edema; and if the pleura is invaded, it can cause pleural effusion, among other symptoms. If lung cancer metastasizes through the bloodstream, it may spread to the brain and potentially lead to symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Metastasis to different regions of the brain might cause various symptoms, including seizures, mental confusion, and vision impairment. In a minority of cases, lung cancer may produce endocrine substances, possibly leading to symptoms like severe muscle weakness, bone and joint pain, and other such symptoms.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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What causes lung cancer?

Lung cancer is caused by a variety of factors. Research indicates that lung cancer results from a combination of genetic defects, external and internal environmental factors, and personal factors. Numerous studies have confirmed that long-term and heavy smoking is the most significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. There is a positive correlation between the amount and duration of smoking and the incidence of lung cancer. The second factor is related to working in asbestos-related industries, which very much relates to the work environment, and also has a certain relation to smog. Indoor environmental pollution is also a very significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. This includes smoke from burning coal indoors, fumes from cooking oils in kitchens, and carcinogenic substances released by indoor decorating materials. Fourthly, internal human factors such as the immune status, metabolic abnormalities, genetic factors, and chronic lung infections are also related. The fifth factor involves irregular diet and rest habits, irritating foods, alcohol consumption, and heavy smoking.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Does early-stage lung cancer cause facial swelling?

Patients with early-stage lung cancer generally do not experience facial swelling. This is because early-stage lung cancers mainly include carcinoma in situ and stage I lung cancer. At this stage, the cancer tissue is confined to the mucosa, without invasion of the surrounding tissues or distant metastasis. Therefore, the clinical symptoms of patients with early-stage lung cancer primarily involve the respiratory system. Clinical symptoms mainly include coughing, often a dry cough without phlegm, or coughing up phlegm with blood, hemoptysis, and massive hemoptysis. Some patients may experience chest pain, or have a barking cough, or a metallic-sounding cough. Some patients may have shortness of breath after physical activity, and severe cases can experience breathing difficulties. In most cases, patients do not exhibit other clinical changes. However, as the disease progresses, and there is invasion into surrounding tissues, or distant metastases occur, symptoms of invasion into surrounding tissues or distant metastatic sites may appear. For example, metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes can cause enlarged lymph nodes, or compression of the superior vena cava by the patient, resulting in swelling of the face and neck.

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Written by Li Ying
Pulmonology
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Is hemoptysis lung cancer?

Coughing up blood is not necessarily lung cancer. Among respiratory diseases, the three most common causes of coughing up blood are, first, bronchiectasis; second, pneumonia and lung abscess; and third, lung cancer. So how can we determine the cause? The best, simplest, and fastest method is to go to the hospital for a lung CT scan as soon as coughing up blood occurs. If the lung CT shows bronchiectasis, then bronchiectasis should be considered; if it shows an infiltrative lesion, then pneumonia should be considered; if it shows a tumor, then lung cancer should be considered at that time. However, there is also a scenario where blood is coughed up, but the lung CT is completely normal. What should be done then? This situation might be due to pharyngitis. Sometimes, severe coughing from pharyngitis can cause bleeding of the mucous membranes in the throat. In this case, there’s no need for excessive worry, as it may be caused by factors involving the throat. Cough gently, and if there’s no blood when coughing lightly, it’s likely not serious. However, if there's still blood in the sputum even when coughing lightly, it is recommended to undergo a bronchoscopy to check for tuberculosis or cancer in the bronchi.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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How to check for lung cancer?

How to check for lung cancer, firstly, for lung cancer screening, particularly in people over forty years old, especially smokers, it is recommended to regularly undergo low-dose spiral CT scans of the chest. Secondly, if a tumor is detected, it is suggested to proceed with enhanced CT scans, sputum cytology tests, or PET-CT. If it is confirmed that there is a tumor in the lungs, then a biopsy is needed. The biopsy can be performed under bronchoscopy, or transthoracic lung puncture and biopsy of living tissue can also be done, as well as biopsy of metastatic lesions or cytological examination of pleural effusion to diagnose whether it is lung cancer, the type of lung cancer, and certain immunohistochemical situations.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Does shoulder pain mean lung cancer?

The most common cause of shoulder pain is chronic strain of the ligaments and muscles in the shoulder, not lung cancer. Lung cancer accounts for only a small portion of the reasons. If a patient has lung cancer, it can spread to the shoulder, or the lung cancer itself can produce a type of referred pain, which can cause shoulder pain. To determine the cause, it is necessary to go to the hospital for an X-ray of the shoulder joint or a plain chest film, as well as an MRI of the shoulder joint, to clarify the cause of the shoulder pain. If the pain is solely due to the muscles or ligaments in the shoulder, it can be relieved through conservative treatments such as massage, acupuncture, electrotherapy, and magnetotherapy.