Symptoms
Lung cancer is unlikely to produce symptoms until the disease is well established. When symptoms develop, they may occur from the lung tumor itself, from its effects on tissues outside the lung, or from the spread of malignant cells to other organs.
Early Symptoms
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Early symptoms may include the following:
- Frequent bouts of pneumonia or an episode that does not clear up in a normal period of time.
- Coughing (particularly coughing up blood).
- Weight loss.
- Fever.
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest pain.
Symptoms of Later Stages
Later-stage symptoms include the following:
- Shortness of breath from cancer that has spread to the pleura, the membrane covering the lung, is common.
- In some cases, tumor growth or metastasis presses against the superior vena cava, a large vein that returns blood from the upper part of the body to the heart. When this happens, a condition called superior vena cava syndrome may occur, leading to obvious swelling in the upper extremities and face.
- The cancer may spread to or press against the esophagus, interfering with swallowing and nutrition.
- The nerves that control the larynx (voice box) can be damaged, causing hoarseness.
- Damage to the brachial plexus, a group of nerves branching from the neck, can cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the arm or hand (Pancoast's syndrome).
- Bronchoalveolar lung cancer may produce very large amounts of mucus.
- Some lung cancers give out substances that remove calcium from bone and release it into the bloodstream, causing a condition called hypercalcemia. Patients with this disorder can experience nausea, vomiting, constipation, weakness, and fatigue.
- Other lung cancers (usually small cell cancer) cause the body to retain water, lowering the blood's sodium levels. This condition, called hyponatremia, can produce confusion, weakness, and even seizures.
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