The symptoms of lung cancer everyone should know about
Recognizing common symptoms of lung cancer is important to for early
detection of this disease. Lung cancer has very low survival rates if
uncovered after it has progressed far - so it is critical to diagnose the
condition at the earliest.
If the symtoms of lung cancer are detected early enough and the disease
diagnosed in its initial stages, the average survival rate at the five
year mark is 49%. In contrast, the five year survival rate for all cases
of lung cancer is just 15%. This is because most such cancers are detected
very late in their cycle and therefore result in very low survival rates.
Should you suspect that you have one or more of the common symptoms of
lung cancer, you should consult a medical professional immediately. Of
course, many of these symptoms are common to other diseases and conditions
as well, so having a few of them does not necessarily mean lung cancer.
The scary thing is that a full quarter of those diagnosed with this
disease have had NO obvious symptoms. Instead, the cancer was detected
while doing a CT scan or perhaps a chest x-ray. (This fact makes a fairly
compelling case for including a chest x-ray as part of all routine health
checkups once a year - but doctors continue to debate its usefulness).
Many lung cancers so detected are quite small and relatively easy to
treat. It may involve just one small-sized tumor referred to as a coin
lesion. If the cancer has been detected at this stage, the patient is
indeed fortunate compared to the many whose disease is diagnosed only at
later stages.
The following link has a list of many of the common
lung cancer symptoms.
Check it out.
Many symtoms of lung cancer are related to the malignant lesions that form
in the lungs. Cancerous changes in the lungs can affect the patient's
ability to breathe normally. She may complain of coughing, short breath
(quite common among lung cancer patients), wheezing, coughing up blood,
etc.
Sometimes, the cancer spreads to the esophagus. This can result in
difficulty in swallowing food. Patients whose nerve tissues have been
affected may experience hoarseness of voice or even a complete loss of
voice. They may also complain of shoulder pain radiating out along the
arm.
In some patients, the cancer may affect significant portions of the
bronchia. This may result in pneumonia, lung collapse, abscesses and other
problems with associated symptoms of lung cancer.
Lung cancer may cause a general feeling of fatigue and weakness as well as
weight loss. Some patients experience mood changes such as excessive
irritability and depression.
Being vigilant about the common
symptoms of lung cancer
can quite possibly save a person's life.
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