incidence of lung cancer

Written by Hu Zhong Dong

Medical Oncology

Updated on April 26, 2025

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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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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 Yang Feng

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Symptoms of malignant transformation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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.

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Written by Hu Zhong Dong

Medical Oncology

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Clinical manifestations of lung cancer

The clinical manifestations of lung cancer may include fever. The reasons for the fever include possible infection, fever caused by the tumor itself, and another symptom is hemoptysis. Blood-streaked sputum or hemoptysis is a common symptom of lung cancer, accounting for about 30% of the initial symptoms. The characteristic of hemoptysis in lung cancer is intermittent and persistent, or repeated minor hemoptysis or blood streaks in sputum. Some patients may have large blood vessel ruptures, tumor cavitation leading to bronchial rupture, also causing massive hemoptysis. Some patients may exhibit coughing, with coughing as the initial symptom in about 35%-75% of cases. If a person's cough changes in nature to a high-pitched metallic sound, especially in smokers, it is crucial to be highly alert to the possibility of lung cancer. Another symptom is hoarseness, which occurs in about 20%-30% of lung cancer patients at various stages of the disease.

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Written by Hu Zhong Dong

Medical Oncology

1min 15sec

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Symptoms of advanced lung cancer

Late-stage lung cancer may cause pain. For example, bone metastasis is a common site of metastasis for lung cancer, which can lead to pain; if it metastasizes to the liver, it can cause expansive pain in the liver, and chest tightness and shortness of breath are also common symptoms of late-stage lung cancer. If the tumor is located at the hilum of the lung, compressing the lobar bronchi, main bronchus, etc., compression can lead to corresponding lung collapse, possibly causing chest tightness and shortness of breath. Additionally, a large amount of pleural effusion can also occupy the thoracic cavity, compressing the lungs, leading to difficulties in breathing due to chest tightness. Coughing might be a common symptom in lung cancer patients, especially in those whose tumors are located at the hilum of the lung. Hoarseness is caused by compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and this symptom might be alleviated after tumor treatment. Furthermore, some patients with advanced-stage lung cancer may experience swelling of the upper limbs and face, which is caused by the tumor compressing the superior vena cava.

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What fruits to eat for lung cancer

For lung cancer, it is appropriate to eat some green, natural, seasonal fruits. Generally, there are not too many fruits that cannot be eaten; there are no strict prohibitions against any particular fruit. You can eat apples, pears, bananas, oranges, watermelons, cantaloupes, and any such naturally green fruits, especially if they are unpolluted and in season. Therefore, generally speaking, there are not many fruits that people with lung cancer cannot eat. However, one should consume fruit in moderation. For instance, lychees are now in season, but as lychees are considered warm and heat-inducing, it is advisable to eat them in moderation.