Be alert to extrapulmonary symptoms of lung cancer

According to statistics, about half of lung cancer patients initially show symptoms outside the lungs, and these symptoms often appear before the lung symptoms, which invisibly become early signs of lung cancer. However, since these symptoms seem to have nothing to do with lung cancer, they are often misdiagnosed as other diseases. Therefore, we must be alert and pay attention to these signals, which will help with early diagnosis and early treatment. What are the main extrapulmonary symptoms of lung cancer?

1. Bone and joint symptoms: These symptoms are more common. Lung cancer cells can produce certain special endocrine hormones (xenohormones), antigens and enzymes, which act on the bone and joint parts, causing bone and joint swelling and pain, often involving the tibia, fibula, ulna, radius and other bones and joints. The ends of the fingers and toes often swell and become clubbed, and X-ray examinations can show periosteal hyperplasia.

2. Shoulder and back pain: Peripheral lung cancer often develops posteriorly and upwards, eroding the pleura, involving the ribs and chest wall tissue, thus causing shoulder and back pain. This type of patient rarely has respiratory symptoms.

3. Hoarseness : Lung cancer metastasis compresses the laryngeal nerve, which can cause vocal cord paralysis and lead to hoarseness. Since lung cancer metastasis can appear in the early stage and sometimes grow faster than the primary lesion, the clinical manifestations of metastasis may appear before the primary lesion.

4. Neurological symptoms : Brain metastasis of lung cancer may cause neurological symptoms such as headache, vomiting, sudden coma, aphasia, hemiplegia, etc. Because the lung symptoms are not obvious, they are often misdiagnosed as thrombosis or brain tumors.

5. Male breast enlargement : About 10%-20% of male lung cancer patients have breast enlargement, some with unilateral enlargement, but most with bilateral enlargement. Moreover, this symptom appears about a year earlier than other lung symptoms such as cough, blood in sputum, chest pain, and shortness of breath. This is because some lung cancer cells can secrete chorionic gonadotropin, which can cause breast tissue hyperplasia and breast enlargement.

Experts remind: If you have the above extrapulmonary symptoms, you should be alert and go to the hospital for examination in time to avoid the occurrence of lung cancer. If you have other questions about lung cancer, please consult an expert for understanding.

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