Most common warning signs and indicators of lung cancer comprise of the following: - Hoarse voice - Constant chest pain - Fever - Fatigue - Continous problems with bronchitis or pneumonia - Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) - A cough that gets worse over time and doesn't go away - Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) - Swelling of the face and the neck - Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Other indicators that can appear now and then include repeated epsidoes of pneumonia, changes in the shape of the fingertips, enlarged or swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the lower neck and upper chest. Many or all of these warning signs may be caused by lung cancer, however, they can also be a cause of other medical conditions. In other words, it doesn't automatically mean you have lung cancer because you have one or more of these warning signs. Additionally, early stages of many tumors may have few or even no warning signs at all. Unfortunately, it also does not mean that you don't have cancer just because you have few or no clear-cut signs or symptoms. The tumor may be silently spreading which makes it difficult to control, treat or even remove once the tumor is later discovered. Extremely important - the key to successful treatment is EARLY detection and diagnosis. A doctor will appraise and discuss the medical history of the patient to help find the cause of these early indicators. History such as; has the patient ever smoked, has there been any type of exposure to enviornmental and/or occupational substances, is there a family history of cancer. Depending on the outcome of this evaluation, the doctor may order other tests to help in determining any other cause that may explain away the symptoms. When our lungs are affected by disease and are unable to operate effectively, we may then experience shortness of breath. If the lungs are severely damaged or compromised by injury or disease, we experience a lack of oxygen in the blood which can cause brain damage as well as damage to other organs in our body, even death. Lungs are vitally important for us to be able to live a healthy, normal, active life. If the symptoms seem to be caused by lung cancer, the perspective can be dismal for a person for a number of reasons. Firstly, the lungs will be operating less efficiently which will cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and similar symptoms. In an extreme situation, if enough of the lung tissue has been damaged by the tumor, the symptoms will be much more severe or even death may result. If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, various other signs may surface. That is, if there is metastasis. Lung cancer is capable of spreading to the brain, the liver, or to the bones, each with the following possible symptoms: -The Brain: headaches, weakness, nausea, seizures, vomiting -The Liver: jaundice, stomach pain (especially on the right side) -The Bones: bone pain Be on the lookout for these or any other abnormal or unusual symptoms in addition to the above warning signs, and always get medical advice as soon as possible.
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