What are the early symptoms of small cell lung cancer

What are the early symptoms of small cell lung cancer? Most people are very unfamiliar with small cell lung cancer, but in recent years, the incidence of this disease has been increasing. Many people want to prevent it in advance, but they don’t know what the symptoms are. Let’s learn about the early symptoms of small cell lung cancer!

Small cell lung cancer may be asymptomatic in the early stages, and the most common symptom at diagnosis is fatigue. Chest tightness and shortness of breath: The tumor causes bronchial stenosis, or the tumor metastasizes to the hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes, and the enlarged lymph nodes compress the main bronchi or tracheal carina.

Symptoms and signs caused by extrapulmonary metastasis

(i) Metastasis to lymph nodes: Supraclavicular lymph node metastasis is usually fixed and hard in texture. It gradually increases in size, increases in number, and fuses. It is usually painless.

(ii) Metastasis to the pleura: causing chest pain and pleural effusion, which is mostly bloody.

(III) Metastasis to bones: Most cases are insidious, with only 1/3 having local symptoms, such as pain and pathological fractures. When metastasis to the spine compresses the spinal nerve roots, the pain is persistent and worsens at night. Intraspinal metastasis can rapidly cause irreversible paraplegia syndrome in a short period of time.

(IV) Metastasis to the brain: Edema of intracranial lesions may cause intracranial hypertension, resulting in headache, nausea, and vomiting. The space-occupying effect may also lead to diplopia, ataxia, cranial nerve paralysis, weakness of one side of the limbs, and even hemiplegia.

(V) Metastasis to the pericardium: Pericardial effusion and even signs of pericardial tamponade may occur, with dyspnea, which is more obvious when lying flat, distended jugular veins, low blood pressure, decreased pulse pressure difference, systemic congestion, and decreased urine output.

Extrapulmonary manifestations of tumors and systemic symptoms: Extrapulmonary manifestations of tumors include nonspecific systemic symptoms, such as fatigue, anorexia, and weight loss. They also include paraneoplastic syndromes, the most common of which are as follows:

(1) Carcinoid syndrome: Excessive secretion of 5-HT leads to asthma-like dyspnea, paroxysmal tachycardia, watery diarrhea, and skin flushing.

(ii) Eaton-Lambert syndrome: a neuromuscular syndrome caused by tumors, including cerebellar cortical degeneration, spinal cord degeneration, peripheral neuropathy, myasthenia gravis and myopathy.

Patients should eat a light diet during chemotherapy, avoid greasy, indigestible and fried foods. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, eat small meals frequently, and combine foods reasonably, diversify the diet, and eat a balanced diet. During the intervals between radiotherapy and chemotherapy, pay attention to avoid fatigue, rest, and regular work and rest to avoid infection.