At the symptoms of lung cancer information center you'll learn everything you need to know about the different symptoms of lung cancer in men and women. Our information is rigorously checked for factual accuracy and updated regularly to help empower you with the knowledge that you need to make the right decisions.

The symptoms of lung cancer that an individual might experience depend on many factors.  The first of these is the stage to which the cancer has spread – or, metastatized.  In other words, symptoms of stage 1 lung cancer will be markedly different from the symptoms of stage 4 lung cancer because the more that the cancer develops and spreads, the worse the symptoms generally become.

First lets take a look at some of the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer.  Keep in mind that problems with the lungs can really be caused by a lot of different underlying issues such as COPD or simply being out of shape.  Here are some of the most common ones:

• Shortness of breath – This is technically known as dyspnea and is common among a lot of individuals, even those that don’t have lung cancer.  You can experience this symptom as a result of being a smoker, eating poorly, being at a high altitude, overexerting yourself or being in lousy shape.  This symptom is really only a cause for concern if you’ve never experienced it before and then you suddenly begin getting short on breath regularly without any apparent reason for it.
• Wheezing – This is another pretty generic symptom that can point to any number of problems.  Heavy smokers regularly experience wheezing as do very out of shape people.  Additionally, individuals with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) – also known as emphysema – may experience this.
• Sudden and/or drastic weight loss – The technical name for this term is cachexia and if you begin to lose significant amounts of weight (10 lbs or more) for no apparent reason, it’s a good idea to go see your physician and have some tests done.
• Trouble swallowing – This is also known as dysphagia and points to a possible problem with the respiratory system.
• Swollen lymph nodes – This is one of the most telltale symptoms of many diseases because the lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system, which fights bodily invaders and “tell” the body when something is wrong.  When the lymph nodes swell considerably this means that the body is in the process of fighting some sort of internal battle and it’s a good idea to go get tests done if the swelling persists or reappears frequently.
• Chronic coughing – A chronic cough, or a cough that sounds and feels different from your usual cough can point to an effort made by your body to expel unwanted substances from the lungs or respond to the irritation produces by a local pulmonary problem.
• Abdominal/Chest pain – This is a very generic symptom and should be considered problematic in light of other present symptoms in this list.
• Coughing blood – This is also called hemoptysis and is definitely a cause for concern even if no other symptoms are present.  A particularly severe bronchitis or strep throat can cause hemoptysis but it’s a smart idea to go get this checked out and analyzed by a doctor as soon as possible.  Coughing up blood in the case of lung cancers usually has to do with the fact that this group of cancers grows in a blood-rich environment.  The superficial surface of the malignancy can be fragile and cause bleeding into the airway from the tumor itself.
• Fatigue – In conjunction with other symptoms on this list, fatigue can indicate that your body is functioning sub-optimally and while it may be due to any number of things, it’s something that you should keep an eye on.
• Loss of appetite – Appetite varies widely in response to stress, time of year, hormonal cycles, sleep, etc., but you should take it seriously if it occurs in conjunction with several of the other symptoms on this list.
• Hoarse Voice – A hoarse voice, otherwise known as dysphonia can point to an unhealthy respiratory tract because the vocal cords become irritated by sputum that the lungs are trying desperately to expel.
• Excessive pneumonia – While some people have generally un-robust immune systems and get sick often, a sudden and substantial increase in the frequency and/or severity of pneumonia can definitely indicate a problem with the lungs.

 

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The symptoms of lung cancer also depend upon where in the lung the cancer is growing.

 

If, for example, it grows primarily in the airway, this can lead to trouble breathing due to a blocked flow of air.  This can also result in a build up of various substances secreted by the lungs and surrounding tissues in their response to the invader.  In turn, this can make it more likely that a patient gets sick with pneumonia.

Depending on the type of malignancy, a patient may experience several unusual symptoms that may indicate problems with the lungs.  These are called paraneoplastic phenomena and may include:

 

• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome – This is a syndrome characterized by general muscle weakness.  It occurs because of the body’s production of autoantibodies.
• Excessive blood calcium – Otherwise called hypercalcemia, this symptoms should be considered in the context of other symptoms as hypercalcemia can indicate many different problems.
• SIADH – This stands for syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic syndrome and occurs when the body releases an excess of antidiuretic hormone.  This can lead to electrolyte balance disruption in the body, which can cause severe complications.
• Pancoast tumors – These are tumors that occur at the very top of the lung.  The significance of this problem is the tumor’s location.  It’s situated in such a way that it may metastasize into the sympathetic nervous system, which can lead to all sorts of OTHER symptoms collectively known as Horner’s syndrome and include eye muscle troubles, altered sweating patterns and severe muscular fatigue.

Since many lung cancer symptoms such as poor appetite, hoarse voice, fatigue and others are quite general, all symptoms should be considered in the context of one another.  If, for example, you experience 2 or more of these symptoms and they appeared quite suddenly, that would be a good indicator to go consult with a medical profession.

About 1 in 10 patients with lung cancer are asymptomatic upon diagnosis, meaning that they have no obvious symptoms of lung cancer when it’s found.

In a large number of patients, the lung cancer has already spread to one or several common sites of metastasis such as the brain, bone, other lung, liver or other by the time it’s diagnosed.  For these reasons, it’s vital to maintain strong general health through a proper diet (the paleo diet comes to mind), low stress, exercise, avoidance of toxins (smoking, pollution, etc.) and to keep a watchful eye for any of the symptoms of lung cancer – particularly several at the same time or suddently – that may occur.