In both males and females, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths (one in four). Treatment is more successful for an early diagnosis of lung cancer, so if you experience any of the above signs of lung cancer, see your doctor.
Blood Oughing Up
"Blood coughing is never a positive sign. Go see your doctor right then and there,' says Raja Flores, MD, professor and chair of thoracic surgery at New York City's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. While cancer may not actually be the cause of your bloody cough, as this is one of the symptoms of lung cancer, you should certainly be screened.
Pain in the chest
Pay attention to pain in your abdomen, back, or shoulder that is fresh and will not go away. With deep breathing, coughing, or laughing, you can feel a sensation of tightness, or a sharp pain that can get worse. "Where the tumor is located, you feel pain," says Dr. Flores. If the tumor is sideways, the pressure on your side can be felt. You'll feel pain in your back if it's towards the back of your chest.
A cough that is recurrent
Anything as simple as asthma, a cold, or water down the wrong pipe can trigger coughing fits; but if your cough never seems to go away, it could be a sign of something more serious, such as lung cancer. "Airway cancer can irritate the throat and make you cough," Dr. Flores says. "There's something in there that's not supposed to be there so your body is trying to get rid of it." Cancer can also generate mucus, making it worse and exacerbating the cough.
Shortness of Respiration
It could be one of the symptoms of lung cancer if you're unexpectedly windy after ascending the stairs, or if your daily walk around the block leaves you gasping for breath. The shortness of breath may come from a windpipe-blocking tumor. It can also be caused by the buildup of fluid in the chest that pushes through the lungs and leaves you with a lack of oxygen, says Dr. Flores. It allows fluid to build up in your chest as cancer forms in the lining of the lung; and while your chest can carry between three and four liters of fluid, the lungs are unable to get enough air when it fully fills up, he says. When you are sitting or lying down, trouble breathing can also be a sign of trouble.
Feeling tired
It may be a sign of cancer if you feel increasingly rundown but have not made any improvements to your everyday routine. "It may not signal lung cancer specifically, but it's a definite red flag that something's wrong," says Dr. Flores. According to the American Cancer Society, involuntary weight loss and loss of appetite are also signs of lung cancer. Your lung cancer risk is also raised by smoking, a family history of cancer, and asbestos exposure.
A Diagnosis of Asthma
There is no higher risk of lung cancer in people with asthma. However, if you have been diagnosed with asthma prior to childhood and have other risk factors, your doctor can recommend that you have lung cancer screening, says Dr. Flores. It is a rare symptom, but if you are a young adult or older and have recently been diagnosed with asthma, it is something to hold in the back of your mind," he says." "Pulmonologists often listen to your lungs, hear wheezing, and treat it as asthma, but it's a good idea to have a scan to make sure there's no tumor in your lungs that might cause a blockage."
Overall Pain in the Body
Since lung cancer sometimes does not have symptoms in the later stages, until it has spread to other areas of the body, it may go undiagnosed. Signs of lung cancer that has spread to the brain or spinal cord may be headaches, dizziness and balance issues, or numbness in the limbs. Yellowing of the skin and eyes may be an indication that it has spread to the liver, and according to the American Cancer Society, lumps on the body could mean that the disease has spread to the skin or lymph nodes. Such complications often arise progressively and in conjunction with other symptoms.