Is coughing severe in the early stages of lung cancer?

Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
Updated on December 10, 2024
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Patients with lung cancer in the early stages may experience severe coughing, mild coughing, or no coughing symptoms at all. Many early-stage lung cancer patients have lesions located near the periphery of the lungs that do not involve the airways or other significant structures, typically resulting in no clinical symptoms. By the time clinical symptoms appear, the patient may already be in the middle or late stages of lung cancer. Additionally, it is important to note that some patients with early-stage lung cancer may also experience coughing, which can range from severe to mild, and may include coughing up blood. Such symptoms are often seen in early-stage central lung cancer, which frequently presents with cough and blood in the sputum. Therefore, older patients with a long history of smoking who suddenly develop a cough or start coughing up blood should be highly vigilant and likely need to undergo chest CT scans, bronchoscopy, and other related examinations for evaluation.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Early stage lung cancer symptoms

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 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 Gong Chun
Oncology
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Symptoms of brain metastasis from lung cancer

Brain metastasis of lung cancer is caused by hematogenous spread of lung cancer to the brain. Brain metastasis typically presents with symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting, including projectile vomiting. The headaches may be severe, and there may be abnormalities in sensory perception and motor function, possibly accompanied by seizures, mental confusion, olfactory disturbances, visual impairments, and other symptoms. The specific symptoms can vary depending on the location of the metastasis in the brain. However, most patients experience headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Individual differences are significant, and it's important to analyze the specific issues and the specific areas of the brain affected.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Staging of Lung Cancer

The staging of lung cancer is of great clinical significance for the selection of clinical treatment plans and the prediction of prognosis. According to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the World Health Organization, lung cancer is staged based on the size of the primary tumor (T stage), the condition of tumor lymph node metastasis (N stage), and the presence of distant metastases (M stage). Lung cancer is classified according to these criteria, which are used internationally. Currently, there are UICC staging and AJCC staging, which are two different systems.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Dietary therapy for lung cancer

In the diet of lung cancer patients, Western medicine does not have the concept of "trigger foods" like Chinese medicine does. According to Western medicine, there are no specific dietary restrictions; the focus is on maintaining a balanced diet as usual, incorporating meat, proteins, vegetables, and fruits to ensure nutritional balance. Generally, lung cancer patients may experience coughing symptoms, so it is advisable to consume a light diet avoiding oily fried foods. Extremely spicy foods can provoke irritative coughing and worsen it, so they should be avoided, along with barbecued and pickled foods, and junk food. Other than that, the diet should be similar to a normal balanced diet. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, a high-protein diet is recommended, preferably consisting of steamed or stewed dishes. These can be combined with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Astragalus, American ginseng, and Dong quai, which are known to boost energy and enhance resistance, thus aiding in dietary therapy to strengthen the patient's immunity.