Early signs of lung cancer

human lungs, trachea and nasopharynx, medical poster with explanations

Many people like to tell the doctor what is wrong with them, instead of letting the doctor do their job. I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past, when I was worried about a simple skin complaint that was sorted out with a prescription cream. I told the doctor there was nothing wrong with me and that I was being silly for wasting their time and that it’s probably nothing and if they could just tell me I’m fine I’ll be on my way. Luckily, that’s pretty much what happened, and a few days later my skin had cleared up. 

But the thing is that the medical professional can help in all situations (even providing outright cures) where even the most serious of ailments are caught early enough, even cancer. For example, see is lung cancer curable if caught early? But for now, let’s crack on with spotting the early signs of lung cancer, because raising the issue early could make all the difference. 

Chest pain

Depending on the stage to which the lung cancer has progressed, the lymph nodes may have enlarged or the lining of the lung walls may have grown agitated. This can result in both localised pain and in radiating pain that is felt across the chest, in the shoulders, and in the back and ribs. Unfortunately, due to the body responding to different stages of different cancers in different ways, there is no standard description of what the pain will feel like. The pain could be sharp, dull, constant, or intermittent. The important thing is to speak to your doctor as soon as possible. 

Wheezing and hoarseness

Just like you’d expect there to be a change in pitch if you were to blow through a straw and begin to squeeze it slightly, your breathing may begin to change sounds and even wheeze due to the presence of cancer in the lungs. There is also the chance that the tumour(s) could press on the nerves connected to the vocal cords, resulting in a slightly but noticeably deeper sounding voice.     

Weight loss

For most people, weight loss is generally a good thing. But where you notice an unexplained dip in weight of 10 pounds of more, this could be a sign of lung cancer. The reason for this is that cancerous cells require energy to grow, and sick people may experience a loss of appetite.