Much research work has been dedicated to find out the first symptoms of lung cancer. Cancer is that painful disease that needs no introduction and cancer of the lung is one of its most common forms. It is said that early detection of cancer is the key to its prevention.
Extensive research works conducted at Mesothelioma research clinics have uncovered some symptoms of lung cancer closely linked with the disease.
You may not have any symptoms of lung cancer, or you may have symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath that you think are related to a respiratory illness. As a result, only about 16% of lung cancers are diagnosed early when treatment is most effective.
The symptoms of lung cancer include :
- a chronic cough.
- worsening breathlessness.
- weight loss.
- excessive fatigue.
- persistent pain in the chest or elsewhere, (possibly from the cancer spreading to a bone).
- symptoms can be due to the original tumor in the lung or to the effects of secondary tumours elsewhere in the body.
- one of the most significant symptoms of lung cancer is coughing up blood or haemoptysis. This can sometimes occur as an early warning sign of a cancer which may still be curable. Any person who coughs up blood should see their GP for advice urgently as lung cancer must be considered, particularly if the person is a smoker over the age of 40.
