Symptoms of malignant transformation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
Updated on February 17, 2025
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Firstly, cancer transformation is not the main complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but both COPD and lung cancer share a common cause, which is smoking. Therefore, COPD and lung cancer are generally considered two different diseases, and the symptoms of COPD combined with lung cancer are mainly those of lung cancer, typically including irritating dry cough, blood-streaked sputum, weight loss, etc. Thus, lung imaging studies can be used to preliminarily determine the possibility of cancer in patients, and further diagnostic steps can be chosen based on the patient’s imaging and related symptoms, including biopsy, bronchoscopy, etc.

Other Voices

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Will people with lung cancer experience weight loss?

This question should be answered specifically. Some people may initially experience symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue when they start to develop lung cancer. Some people with better physical constitution may not lose weight so easily. However, if a malignant tumor persists in the body for a long time, it will consume the body's nutrients and lead to a state of cachexia, characterized by systemic toxicity symptoms including weight loss, fatigue, fever, and other similar symptoms.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Can early-stage lung cancer cause shoulder pain?

In the early stages of lung cancer, it generally does not cause shoulder pain. Early-stage lung cancer often does not involve critical structures and typically does not produce noticeable clinical symptoms. However, a small number of central lung cancers may cause symptoms related to coughing. Moreover, shoulder pain can occur in cases of lung cancer, often seen in superior sulcus tumors. A superior sulcus tumor, also known as a Pancoast tumor, is a tumor located at the top of the lung. As the tumor grows, it may compress the brachial plexus nerves, leading to symptoms such as shoulder pain and throat pain. It can also cause symptoms like enophthalmos (sunken eyeball) and pupil constriction. Therefore, when encountering these signs clinically, it is necessary to consider the possibility of a superior sulcus tumor and conduct examinations like a chest CT scan for evaluation.

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Written by Hu Zhong Dong
Medical Oncology
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incidence of lung cancer

In recent years, the incidence of tumors has continued to rise, becoming a major killer threatening public health. According to global cancer statistics from 2015, in 2012, there were approximately 14 million new cases of cancer worldwide. Among these, lung cancer had an incidence of 1.8 million, accounting for 13% of all cancer cases. It is the type of cancer most frequently diagnosed and is also the leading cause of cancer death among men globally and women in developed countries. So, what is the current situation of lung cancer incidence in our country? The National Health Commission has stated that in 2014, there were about 3.804 million new cancer cases in China, with lung cancer having the highest incidence at 181,000 cases. Lung cancer presents complex clinical symptoms and its early symptoms are relatively mild, leading many patients to seek medical advice only in the late stages, thereby missing the optimal treatment window.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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What should I do if lung cancer causes coughing up blood?

Lung cancer refers to a condition where, due to genetic mutations in human cells, cells grow disorderly or wildly, forming a solid mass-like lesion primarily known as lung cancer. Due to the uneven growth of lung cancer, local necrosis can occur, leading to bleeding, making coughing up blood a very common clinical manifestation in lung cancer. The severity of coughing up blood is classified into mild, moderate, and severe. Generally, if a single instance of coughing up blood is less than five milliliters, it can be managed with Yunnan Baiyao. However, if the amount exceeds 100 milliliters, it is advisable to seek medical attention promptly to prevent life-threatening risks from massive hemoptysis. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Does lung cancer cause a dry cough and a feeling of stuffiness?

Lung cancer can present symptoms of chest tightness along with dry cough, or it may simply manifest as dry cough alone. Some early-stage lung cancers might only involve dry cough without other symptoms like chest tightness or breathing difficulties. However, for patients with advanced lung cancer, in addition to dry cough, symptoms may include chest tightness and breathing difficulties. Advanced lung cancer can compress the patient's major airways, leading to narrowing of these airways, and thus cause symptoms such as dry cough and chest tightness. In advanced stages, lung cancer may also be accompanied by a significant accumulation of pleural effusion. In such cases, patients might experience chest tightness and breathing difficulties along with dry cough. Therefore, lung cancer can either solely manifest as dry cough or may also be accompanied by symptoms of chest tightness, particularly in advanced stages, where it is relatively common to have chest tightness along with dry cough.