Day 4 – SIGNS & SYMPTOMS of LUNG CANCER
First and foremost, and I implore you to do this: *YOU DO YOU!* YOUR symptoms, signs and scan results WILL likely be different than everybody else’s. Try not to compare yourself or your symptoms to others. You are a unique individual, with different biology, history and future than the person sitting next to you. YOU DO YOU and make every decision along YOUR path as you would want for your life. Stand up for who you are, where you are and what YOU need!
What is a “symptom” versus a “sign”? …Per MedicineNet: “Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood coming out of a nostril is a sign; it is apparent to the patient, physician and others. Anxiety, low back pain and fatigue, for example, are all symptoms; only the patient can perceive them.”
- The ACS and the LUNGevity and Bonnie J Addario Foundations, among others, say to Look for the following:
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- COUGHING: coughing up blood (or rust-colored sputum), or a cough that gets worse or does not go away.
- CHEST: Shortness of breath or other breathing trouble that is often worsened with deep breathing, laughing or coughing; New wheezing when you take a breath; Aches or pains in your chest, back, shoulders that don’t go away; Your voice is hoarse; Frequent or prolonged respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
- GENERAL: Headache or dizziness, numbness of an arm or leg, balance problems or seizures; Trouble swallowing; Swelling in the veins of your neck or face; Losing weight/appetite without trying to do so; Feeling tired or weak; Bone pain; Yellowing of eyes or skin, etc.
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- Now, the challenge is: Most of these symptoms and signs CAN also be caused by something other than Lung Cancer. What IS the underlying SOURCE for YOU?!
Many symptoms indicative of lung cancer can ALSO be attributed to other illness or disease. This makes diagnosis particularly challenging and often leads to diagnosis only once the cancer has metastasized (spread), rather than earlier. Due to the aggressive nature of Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, for example, over 75% of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has already spread and is considered ‘Extensive Stage’, with median survival rates of only 6-12 months with ‘Western’ medical and pharmaceutical treatment, and 2-4 months without treatment. Time is of the essence in Lung Cancer diagnosis. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s segment regarding ‘Diagnostic Testing for Lung Cancer’.
RESOURCES: https://lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/signs-symptoms; 2) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20374620ns; 3) https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/signs-and-symptoms.html; and 4) MedicineNet (sign v symptom definition).
See more lung cancer facts at the link below:
