Early Lung Cancer Signs

Early Lung cancer signs generally don't appear until the disease has progressed to a certain stage. Because of this, diagnosis often occurs when lung cancer has reached a dangerous point.

So in this article, we will consider early signs of lung cancer to be the earliest signs that appear. "Earliest" for our purposes, however, does not mean these signs appear at the very beginning stages of lung cancer.

Pain The earliest sign of lung cancer is often chest pain, back and pain in the shoulder and neck area. Many lung cancer patients describe this pain as a dull ache in the beginning. A lung cancer tumor also causes swelling in the upper torso and even the face.

Coughing up blood. This is also known as hemoptysis. If blood that comes up with a cough is bubbly and bright red or rust colored, contact your doctor right away.

If you find you're coughing up mucus or sputum a lot and you don't have a respiratory infection, it could be a sign of lung cancer. A non-smoker's cough that continues for more than 2 weeks or a smoker's cough that becomes more intense can be early signs of lung cancer. If you find yourself wheezing and you don't have a respiratory infection, it could be a lung cancer sign. An unusual number of episodes of pneumonia or bronchitis are among the early signs of lung cancer.

Bone fractures. Lung cancer can weaken bones. If you experience a broken bone, and you're surprised the bone broke so easily, it may be an early sign of lung cancer. Bone pain is also an early lung cancer sign because, again, bones are weakened and stressed by the disease.

Fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches and joint pain are also typical early lung cancer cases.

Memory loss not attributable to Alzheimers or some other neurological problem.

These lung cancer signs should be taken seriously and not ignored. Where lung cancer is concerned, the earliest possible diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death. If lung cancer is detected before it metastasizes (spreads to other organs), there's a fifty percent chance of surviving for more than five years.

Keep in mind, more people die of lung cancer in the United States than any other form of cancer. More women now die of lung cancer than breast cancer.

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