Lung Cancer Symptoms Tips & Guide
One difficulty in diagnosing lung cancer is the fact that in many patients symptoms of the disease are not apparent until the cancer is in an advanced stage.
That is why it is very important for people, especially those at high risk, to understand lung cancer symptoms. People must be aware what these symptoms are and see their doctor if they even suspect they may have lung cancer.
Hidden Disease
In the early stages of lung cancer, symptoms are usually not present. In many cases, it is not until the tumor has grown or the cancer has spread, that clear symptoms will appear. Chest x-rays taken for other reasons may be the first suspicion that lung cancer is present.
The lack of early symptoms of lung cancer allows the disease to grow, making it more difficult to treat and making it more likely that it will spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms may show up but could be dismissed as a chest cold or some other common respiratory illness. Ignoring the symptoms or trying to treat them as a simple virus can lead to late discovery and spread of the disease.
Symptoms
You know what it feels like to have a common virus or infection. Lung cancer symptoms are usually similar and can include:
* A cough that will not go away
* Chest pain
* Difficulty breathing
Being informed and aware is the best way to catch lung cancer symptoms early. Watch out for the following:
* If you smoke or used to smoke and you suddenly develop a new cough
* A persistent cough that does not go away even with medication.
* Chest pain that does not go away
* Wheezing
* Raspy voice
* Repeated respiratory illness
Depending upon the type of lung cancer, a variety of symptoms can be seen. One form of lung cancer tumors are Metastatic and may react differently in the body and cause different symptoms. While most do not cause any symptoms, they can sometimes spread to the adrenal glands, the bones and even the brain.
The difficulty of detecting lung cancer in the early stages is part of the reason why it has such a high death rate.
Her name is Anne Durrel. She comes from California. She has written extensively on Lung Cancer . You may want to check out her other guide on cancer stages tips, and lung cancer facts guide!
