Symptoms of lung cancer transformation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
Updated on January 21, 2025
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Lung cancer is a complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but it is relatively less common for COPD patients to also have lung cancer. Regular health check-ups, including annual lung CT scans, can help identify the possibility of cancerous changes at an early stage. In the early stages of lung cancer, patients generally do not show obvious clinical symptoms. As the disease progresses, symptoms such as coughing up blood, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats may occur. However, since the clinical symptoms of lung cancer are similar to other lung diseases, there are no typical clinical features, and imaging studies are needed for preliminary screening.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Does lung cancer cause coughing?

The most common symptoms of lung cancer patients include coughing, followed by coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. When the tumor grows in larger bronchi, it often causes an irritable cough, which can easily be mistaken for a cold. As the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchi, secondary lung infections can occur, possibly producing purulent sputum and an increased amount of coughed-up sputum. At this time, coughing becomes quite severe. Another symptom that may appear is blood in the sputum, which could be blood-streaked sputum, or sporadic, small amounts of coughed-up blood.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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What tests are conducted for lung cancer?

Diagnosis of Lung Cancer: The first method can be through chest X-ray and CT scan; The second is sputum cytology examination; The third involves using a bronchoscopy; The fourth is mediastinoscopy, which allows direct observation of the enlargement of lymph nodes on both sides of the mediastinum; The fifth is to perform PET-CT, which is Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography; The sixth requires a biopsy; it can be done through a transthoracic needle biopsy, or via a bronchoscopic biopsy; The seventh is the biopsy of metastatic lesions, such as subclavian lymph nodes, and lymph node metastases in the neck or axillary areas can be examined; The eighth can involve drawing cancerous pleural effusion; if there is pleural effusion, pleural fluid cytology examination can be performed; The ninth method is thoracotomy exploration; if lung nodules or lung tumors cannot be definitively diagnosed through various other methods, thoracotomy exploration can be performed.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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How is lung cancer treated?

For the treatment of lung cancer, it should currently be based on a comprehensive treatment method tailored to the patient's age, specific condition, nutritional status, economic condition, and the capabilities available at the hospital. It is particularly related to the stage of the disease and the type identified in the tissue biopsy. Currently, lung cancer primarily adopts a multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment approach spearheaded by surgical intervention. Surgical treatment is the preferred method for lung cancer, but since it is a systemic disease, surgery alone cannot completely address the issue. Therefore, it must be combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments in a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach. Additionally, immunotherapy and targeted therapy are inseparable and crucial parts of integrated treatment strategies for lung cancer. If the disease is staged and involves adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, surgical treatment is recommended followed by adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or targeted and immunotherapy. If surgery is not possible, some supportive treatments can be considered. For small-cell lung cancer, surgery is not recommended because it offers no benefit; instead, a combined approach of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is advised.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
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Do early-stage lung cancer patients experience vomiting?

If a patient develops lung cancer, some may experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting in the early stages, which is caused by the spread of cancer cells. Others may experience localized pain. It is suggested that lung cancer patients who experience nausea and vomiting adopt a fasting method for treatment, or treat it through localized massage. If patients discover that they have lung cancer, it is crucial to control it in the early stages to prevent the spread of cancer cells. If necessary, treatment can be administered through chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy drugs.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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How to detect early symptoms of lung cancer?

So, the early symptoms of lung cancer often include a cough, hemoptysis, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. However, these symptoms, particularly the irritating cough, typically appear after the tumor has grown in the larger bronchi; this is often mistaken for a cough following a cold, leading to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. Therefore, if this type of irritating cough occurs, it is essential to seek medical attention promptly and to undergo chest X-ray or CT scan. Second, as the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchus, secondary lung infections may occur, often characterized by coughing up pus-like sputum, and an increase in the amount of sputum, which should also be noted. Third, a very common symptom is the presence of blood in the sputum, or streaks of blood, or intermittent minor hemoptysis, which must be taken seriously.