One difficulty in diagnosing lung cancer is the fact that in many patients symptoms of the disease are not apparent until the cancer is in an advanced stage.
That is why it is very important for people, especially those at high risk, to understand lung cancer symptoms. People must be aware what these symptoms are and see their doctor if they even suspect they may have lung cancer.
Unsuspected Disease
Lung cancer in it's earlier stages can go unnoticed. Usually symptoms will appear when the tumor has grown or the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes lung cancer will be detected when an x-ray of the chest is done for some other complaint.
The lack of early symptoms of lung cancer allows the disease to grow, making it more difficult to treat and making it more likely that it will spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms may show up but could be dismissed as a chest cold or some other common respiratory illness. Ignoring the symptoms or trying to treat them as a simple virus can lead to late discovery and spread of the disease.
Warning Signs
A common virus or infection is similar to the symptoms of lung cancer and may include:
Be aware of how your body feels is the best way to catch lung cancer symptoms early. Be aware of the following:
* If a sudden new cough develops, especially if you are or have been a smoker
* A persistent cough that does not go away even with medication.
* Chest pain that does not go away
* Panting
* Roughness
* Frequent respiratory problems
Depending upon the type of lung cancer, a variety of symptoms can be seen. One form of lung cancer tumors are Metastatic and may react differently in the body and cause different symptoms. While most do not cause any symptoms, they can sometimes spread to the adrenal glands, the bones and even the brain.
Part of the reason why lung cancer has a high death rate is because it is very difficult to catch in the early stages.
Author Resource:-
Anne Durrel originally comes from USA. She has written a lot of articles on Lung Cancer . She has additional information on lung cancer pictures tips, and causes of lung cancer guide you may be interested in reading!