Early symptoms of lung cancer

Symptoms of early lung cancer include persistent cough, bloody sputum, chest pain, shortness of breath and dyspnea, weight loss and fatigue. If the symptoms persist, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time and take targeted treatment measures under the guidance of a doctor. The details are as follows:

1. Persistent cough: One of the most common symptoms of early lung cancer is persistent cough, especially dry cough. When the tumor is located in the bronchus, it irritates the airway mucosa and causes coughing. Patients often think it is a common cold or bronchitis, thus ignoring its severity. In order to detect lung cancer early, if the cough persists for more than three weeks, you should seek medical attention in time, undergo a chest X-ray or CT scan, and, if necessary, a bronchoscopy to rule out the possibility of lung cancer.

2. Coughing up blood: Blood streaks or blood clots in sputum is another early warning sign of lung cancer. Tumors erode the bronchial mucosa and blood vessels, causing bleeding and causing blood in sputum. This symptom is often mistaken for tuberculosis or bronchiectasis. Once blood is found in sputum, you should seek medical attention immediately for sputum cytology and lung imaging examinations to determine the cause.

3. Chest pain: When lung cancer invades the pleura or chest wall, it can cause persistent or intermittent chest pain. The nature of chest pain may be dull pain, stabbing pain, or burning pain, and is related to breathing or changes in body position. If patients experience unexplained chest pain, especially accompanied by difficulty breathing or coughing up blood, they should seek medical attention in time and undergo chest CT or MRI examination to determine whether they have lung cancer.

4. Shortness of breath and dyspnea: When lung cancer causes airway obstruction or pleural effusion, it can cause shortness of breath and dyspnea. These symptoms usually worsen during physical activity, but may also exist at rest. If unexplained shortness of breath and dyspnea occur, it is recommended to seek medical attention in a timely manner and undergo pulmonary function tests and imaging tests to rule out the possibility of lung cancer.

5. Weight loss: Weight loss without obvious reasons is one of the systemic manifestations of lung cancer. Tumors consume a lot of energy, causing patients to lose weight rapidly. Lung cancer may also cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, further aggravating weight loss. If unexplained weight loss occurs, you should see a doctor as soon as possible for a comprehensive physical examination and relevant laboratory tests to find the cause.

6. Fatigue: Continuous fatigue may be a systemic manifestation of lung cancer. Substances secreted by tumor cells and cancer anemia can cause patients to feel abnormally tired. If you feel fatigued for a long time, especially when accompanied by other symptoms of lung cancer, you should seek medical attention in time and undergo blood tests and imaging tests to rule out the possibility of lung cancer.

Early detection and treatment of lung cancer is crucial to improving cure rates and quality of life. I hope everyone can pay attention to their own health and detect potential problems in time.