11 INITIAL SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER - GEOGRAFÍA - 2025

Knowing the initial symptoms of lung cancer is very important to start treatment early and have a better chance of recovery. These include feelings of fatigue and weakness, breathing difficulties or wheezing in the chest.

This type of cancer is one of the most common. This is reflected in the publication Global Cancer Facts & Figures produced by the American Cancer Society with the collaboration of the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

One of the problems with detecting lung cancer early is that it does not follow a pattern in the appearance of its symptoms. Many of the signs that are attributed to this disease are often confused with other respiratory conditions.

According to the book Lung Cancer by Carmen Ferreiro and I. Edward Alcamo, “the reason why cancer symptoms are so diverse is because there can be three very different causes: the tumor itself growing in the lungs, the metastasis of the tumor spreading towards other parts of the body, or hormones and other molecules secreted by malignant cells.

In this article I bring you 11 signs that may indicate the existence of a malignant tumor in the lungs. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is advisable that you consult with your doctor.

Symptoms of lung cancer to detect it early

1- Feeling of fatigue and weakness

According to the book by Ferreiro and Alcamo, fatigue is the most common symptom. As the malignant tumor grows in the lungs, it blocks the entry of air and the oxygen supplies in the blood decrease, becoming insufficient. It is this lack of oxygen that causes fatigue, tiredness and weakness.

This symptom, like most of those that we will see below, are common to other ailments or diseases. This is the main difficulty that prevents many lung cancers from being detected early.

A study by Stephen, Spiro and others (2007) on the initial evaluation of cancer patients published in the Chest Journal, recognizes that there is a delay between the recognition of the patient's symptoms and the definitive diagnosis of lung cancer.

2- Difficulty breathing

Obstruction of the air flow to the lungs makes the breathing process more expensive.

Parles exposes in his book 100 questions & answers about lung cancer, tumors that form around the chest can cause a pleural effusion that makes breathing even more difficult. Pleural effusion is caused by an excessive accumulation of fluid in the tissue of the lungs.

The effusion of fluid in the thoracic cavity prevents the lung from fully expanding, increasing this difficulty in breathing.

In addition, the cancerous tumor can damage some of the nerves of the diaphragm with its growth, causing the paralysis of this fundamental muscle in the human respiratory system.

If you notice that you find it difficult to breathe when performing tasks that do not require excessive effort such as climbing the stairs, it is recommended that you observe this symptom and consult your doctor. Especially if the activities that now cost you work, before you carried out them normally and without being short of breath.

3- Whistling or whistling in the chest

Another sign that can indicate the presence of lung cancer is the sound you make when you breathe. When the airways are constricted or blocked, the lungs can produce a whistling sound when you breathe.

You should observe this beep when you breathe and go to a doctor. This does not mean that you necessarily have lung cancer, since this symptom is very common when suffering from other respiratory diseases such as asthma or even some variety of allergies.

4- Acute chest pain

The growth of the tumor and other complications associated with it, such as the pleural effusion of which I speak in the previous point, can generate intense pain in the chest.

Acute pain in the chest can be made worse by coughing or deep breathing, or when you laugh out loud.

5- Recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia infections

One of the aspects that most must be observed when suffering from any of these symptoms is the frequency with which they recur. The frequency of these ailments can become an unequivocal signal to differentiate the symptoms of lung cancer from those of other diseases.

The tumor blocking the lungs prevents the mucus from rising, causing the air flow to become infected. This infection can lead to outbreaks of pneumonia or other respiratory infections such as bronchitis that recur frequently.

6- A cough that does not go away or that gets worse

Coughing is a defense mechanism that the body has to keep the throat and airways clear. However, when this cough is persistent, it becomes a symptom of a more serious illness.

Among the infections that cause coughing, is lung cancer.

According to Ferreiro and Alcamo, Coughing is more common when the tumor causing the cancer is obstructing the center of air entry into the lungs or when the cancer produces fluids. However, this symptom is not seen when the malignant cyst is in the alveoli or smaller airways.

It is very important to pay special attention to the cough and its evolution. This vigilance should be even more careful and constant if you are a smoker.

Coughing can lead to the expulsion of phlegm, when there is accumulation of mucus or fluid in the airways. A quantity of phlegm, which can be aggravated by some of the lung cancer complications that I have talked about before.

The cough can also be accompanied by blood in the expectoration. If you experience this symptom, you should see your doctor immediately to have it evaluated.

Coughing up blood, hemoptysis in its medical term, is a common sign of lung cancer.

This expectoration with blood occurs when the surface of the tumor bleeds, staining the fluids present in the airway of this color.

This last symptom is one of the most recognizable. However, when it appears, the disease may already be in a very advanced state, making its treatment difficult.

7- Difficulty swallowing

The cancerous tumor can compress or block the esophagus. When this happens it can cause dysphagia. That is, difficulty swallowing.

A difficulty that, besides being accompanied by discomfort or pain when swallowing, increases the risk of choking, as well as the presence of residues in the oral cavity.

The permanence of bacteria in the mouth, can generate infections that can complicate the healing process of lung cancer, with respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

9- loss of appetite

Loss of appetite is one of the clearest signs that something is not working well in the body. It is a common symptom when suffering from a disease. Appetite usually recovers once the person is cured and leaves the infection behind.

10- involuntary weight loss

Another sign that you should be very aware of is your weight. If you lose weight significantly without dieting or engaging in vigorous physical activity to lose it, your body is consuming energy for other reasons.

In addition to the weight loss caused by lack of appetite, in the case of lung cancer, this weight loss occurs because cancer cells consume the energy that you contribute to your body with food.

11- Persistent hoarseness in the voice

Any lasting change in voice should also be noted and consulted with a physician. You should watch it especially if you are a smoker or smoker.

Hoarseness is a common symptom of other not too serious conditions like a cold. However, if it is accompanied by other signs like the ones I have discussed above, it may indicate the presence of a more serious infection such as lung cancer.

This symptom occurs when the tumor is close to the larynx and vocal cords or when it presses on the nerves in this part of the body.

Other symptoms

Lung cancer can manifest itself through other symptoms, caused by metastasis or fluid secretion from the malignant tumor.

Metastasis can lead to symptoms that have nothing to do with the respiratory system, as cancer cells spread throughout the body. Depending on the part of the body that the cancer affects, pain is experienced in one place or another. For example, if the metastasis affects the bones, severe pain or back pain may be experienced.

As for the symptoms associated with the secretions produced by the tumor, there are fluid retention, night sweats or laziness in the muscles, especially in the legs.

Other signs of lung cancer are fever or deformed fingernails.

References

1. American Cancer Society. Global Cancer Facts & Figures 3rd Edition. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2015.
2. Ferreiro, C., & Alcamo, IE (2007). Lung cancer. New York: Chelsea House.
3. Parles (2009). 100 Questions & Answers About Lung Cancer. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
4. Siegel, RL, Miller, KD, & Jemal, A. (2017). Cancer statistics, 2017. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 67 (1), 7-30. doi: 10.3322 / caac.21387.
5. Spiro, SG, Gould, MK, & Colice, GL (2007). Initial Evaluation of the Patient With Lung Cancer: Symptoms, Signs, Laboratory Tests, and Paraneoplastic Syndromes. Chest, 132 (3). doi: 10.1378 / chest.07-1358.