Lung Cancer Symptoms from Healthscout.com

Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer often does not produce symptoms in the early stages. When symptoms do occur, they are a result of tumor growth, pressure and invasion on nearby structures and nerves, regional growths or metastasis.

If the cancer originated and grew in the bronchi and spread to nearby lymph nodes, the symptoms may include:

coughing (when a tumor grew and blocked a passage)

coughing up blood

chest pain

shortness of breath

pneumonia

hoarseness (caused by pressure on a nerve)

difficulty in swallowing (caused by an obstruction of the esophagus)

swelling of the neck, face and upper extremities (caused by pressure on blood vessels)

fatigue

loss of appetite

loss of weight

If the cancer originated and grew at the top of the lung, the symptoms may include:

Pancoast's syndrome (weakness and pain in the shoulder, arm and hand, caused by pressure on the nerves)

If the cancer has metastasized and traveled to other parts of the body, the symptoms may include:

Metastasis to brain: headache, weakness, behavioral changes, speech problems and memory lapses.

Metastasis to other parts: pain, bone fractures, jaundice and blood clots.

Additionally, lung tumors also may alter the production of hormones (called Paraneoplastic syndrome) that regulate body functions, causing:

breast enlargement in males

bone and joint pain

Cushing's syndrome (overproduction of corticosteroid hormones)

Carcinoid syndrome (excess of serotonin hormone in the body)

Hypercalcemia