MEDICAL INSIDER
DR. BRYAN CEPEDOZA
FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
Symptoms of lung cancer
Let us tackle the topic on symptoms of lung cancer.
It should be known that cough is the most common symptom of lung cancer. It is
present in 50-75 percent of lung cancer patients.
The two (2) types of lung cancer (squamous cell and small cell carcinomas) are likely to
produce cough because of their tendency to involve central airways
Hemoptysis or coughing of blood is present in 15 to 30 percent of patients who are
diagnosed with lung cancer. This is because cancer cells have tendency to erode blood
vessels in the lungs thus causing hemoptysis
Chest pain is another symptom of lung cancer. Forty (40) percent of patients with lung
cancer can present with chest pain. A younger patient more often complains of chest
pain than an older patient. The Pain is usually present on the side of the chest where
the cancer is located.
Dyspnea is also a sign of lung cancer. Dyspnea is difficulty of breathing and is a
common symptom in lung cancer patients occurring in approximately 25 to 40 percent
of cases.
Dyspnea is caused by airway obstruction of tumor preventing air from going to the
functional unit of lungs.
Hoarseness of the voice is another lung cancer symptom. A lung cancer patient may
develop hoarseness of voice due to destruction of recurrent laryngeal nerve – the nerve
responsible for producing voice.
Pleural Effusions (water in the lungs) will occur in a patient with lung cancer due to the
obstruction of blood and lymphatic vessels in the lungs causing fluid to collect in the
thoracic cavity. Pleural effusion is associated with advance disease therefore
associated with poor prognosis.
Cachexia is a condition where a lung cancer patient experiences weight loss because of
poor appetite and higher metabolism than a non-cancer patient. Cancer cells compared
to normal cells are several times faster in catabolizing nutrient, depriving normal cells of
needed nutrients.
Paraneoplastic syndrome is a remote effect of tumor that is not directly related to its
invasion, metastasis or obstruction. Examples of paraneoplastic syndrome are the
following:
- hypercalcemia or elevated calcium in the blood.
Hypercalcemia is due to the ability of tumor to produce hormones that stimulate release
of calcium in the bones to the blood. - Anemia is also reported among lung cancer patient. This anemia is due to the
production of auto antibodies by the cancer cells against the red blood cells,
causing premature destructions of red blood. - Hypercoagulable disorder – hypercoagulable disorders can cause stroke when blood
clots travels to the brain, heart attack when it travels to your heart artery or pulmonary
embolism when it clogs your pulmonary artery.