Early stage lung cancer symptoms

Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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The most common early symptom of lung cancer includes coughing, coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. However, when the tumor grows in the larger bronchi, it often causes an irritating cough, leading many people to mistake it for a cold. Therefore, if an irritating cough occurs, it should be taken very seriously. The second point is that as the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchi, there is often an increase in purulent sputum, and the amount of sputum may also increase from before. The third commonly seen symptom is bloody sputum, which might be spots of blood in the sputum, streaks of blood, or intermittent small amounts of coughed-up blood. Large amounts of blood in the sputum are very rare.

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Written by Hu Zhong Dong
Medical Oncology
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Causes of Lung Cancer

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, but many people who have never smoked also develop lung cancer. One possible reason could be related to kitchen fumes. Chinese cooking habits often involve high-temperature frying and stir-frying. After frying in hot oil, the higher the temperature, the more harmful substances are in the fumes, which over time could lead to lung cancer. Some patients develop lung cancer due to air pollution; secondhand smoke is also a significant cause. For example, if a husband smokes, the likelihood of his wife developing lung cancer is more than 200% higher than in the general population, indicating that smoking harms not only the smoker but also their nearest and dearest family members. Additionally, there are other potential causes including psychosomatic factors such as chronic insomnia, depression, decreased immunity, genetic factors, and more.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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What should I do about dry cough and wheezing caused by lung cancer?

Patients with lung cancer presenting with dry cough and wheezing often require treatment to suppress coughing, alleviate wheezing, and address the symptoms. It is also important to check if the patient has concurrent obstructive pneumonia. Lung cancer combined with obstructive pneumonia can also lead to dry cough and wheezing. In such cases, anti-infection treatment is needed, along with treatment specifically targeting lung cancer itself. Dry cough and wheezing in lung cancer often suggest that the cancer may be in the middle to late stages, where the chances of surgery are generally small. However, it is still necessary to complete relevant examinations to further assess the condition. If the patient is eligible for surgery, surgical treatment should be considered. If the patient is indeed in the middle to late stages of lung cancer and is not suitable for surgery, chemotherapeutic drugs are needed for treatment. Sometimes, targeted drugs can be chosen for treating advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer. In cases of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with driver gene mutations, targeted therapy might even be the preferred treatment option.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Does lung cancer cause coughing?

The most common symptoms of lung cancer patients include coughing, followed by coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. When the tumor grows in larger bronchi, it often causes an irritable cough, which can easily be mistaken for a cold. As the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchi, secondary lung infections can occur, possibly producing purulent sputum and an increased amount of coughed-up sputum. At this time, coughing becomes quite severe. Another symptom that may appear is blood in the sputum, which could be blood-streaked sputum, or sporadic, small amounts of coughed-up blood.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Can early-stage lung cancer cause shoulder pain?

In the early stages of lung cancer, it generally does not cause shoulder pain. Early-stage lung cancer often does not involve critical structures and typically does not produce noticeable clinical symptoms. However, a small number of central lung cancers may cause symptoms related to coughing. Moreover, shoulder pain can occur in cases of lung cancer, often seen in superior sulcus tumors. A superior sulcus tumor, also known as a Pancoast tumor, is a tumor located at the top of the lung. As the tumor grows, it may compress the brachial plexus nerves, leading to symptoms such as shoulder pain and throat pain. It can also cause symptoms like enophthalmos (sunken eyeball) and pupil constriction. Therefore, when encountering these signs clinically, it is necessary to consider the possibility of a superior sulcus tumor and conduct examinations like a chest CT scan for evaluation.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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What causes lung cancer?

Lung cancer is caused by a variety of factors. Research indicates that lung cancer results from a combination of genetic defects, external and internal environmental factors, and personal factors. Numerous studies have confirmed that long-term and heavy smoking is the most significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. There is a positive correlation between the amount and duration of smoking and the incidence of lung cancer. The second factor is related to working in asbestos-related industries, which very much relates to the work environment, and also has a certain relation to smog. Indoor environmental pollution is also a very significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. This includes smoke from burning coal indoors, fumes from cooking oils in kitchens, and carcinogenic substances released by indoor decorating materials. Fourthly, internal human factors such as the immune status, metabolic abnormalities, genetic factors, and chronic lung infections are also related. The fifth factor involves irregular diet and rest habits, irritating foods, alcohol consumption, and heavy smoking.