This disease can often be difficult to diagnose early because the first symptoms of lung cancer are often subtle, and when they do occur in a more severe form, it is too late because by then the disease has usually progressed to advanced stages.
In fact, it has been observed that in one-fourth of the cases where lung cancer has been diagnosed there have been no symptoms whatsoever, and it is usually identified due to an x-ray of the chest taken for some other reason. The rest of the three-fourths of the people do experience early lung cancer symptoms, some of which are: a persistent cough that becomes worse over time; coughing up sputum with blood, known as hemoptysis ; pain in the chest; and shortness of breath, hoarseness, and wheezing ; constant feeling of fatigue ; unintentional loss of weight; appetite loss; swelling of the neck and face; persistent problems with pneumonia and bronchitis.
Some of the other symptoms of lung cancer are: difficulties in swallowing; abnormalities of the fingers or fingernails, such as clubbing or the overgrowth of the tissues in the fingertips ; paleness of skin or a bluish coloration ; muscle atrophy or shrinkage ; swelling or pain in the joints; tenderness or pain in bones ; drooping of the eyelids ; development of breasts in men.
Amongst these, the chief three symptoms to lung cancer that should not be ignored are persistent cough, especially when accompanied by blood streaked sputum, pain in the chest, especially when coughing or even breathing, and shortness of breath. When these early symptoms of lung cancer do occur, it is advisable to consult with your doctor immediately, especially if you are more than 40 years old and are a smoker.
Common signs and symptoms of lung cancer include :
- A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time
- Constant chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
- Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
- Swelling of the neck and face Loss of appetite or weight loss
- Fatigue
These symptoms may be caused by lung cancer or by other conditions. It is important to check with a doctor.
Green tea polyphenols inhibit oxidant-induced DNA strand breakage in cultured lung cells
