What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

[hanaguchi]

What are they syptoms of lung cancer? A very close friend who has been a heavy smoker for a long time has been getting pains in his chest and literally sounds very bad. Are there any clear symptoms that one might have lung cancer?
thanks

[vron2010]

Hi, my name is veronica and recently my mother went in for a breast mammogram.  She is 58 years old and has been a smoker on and off throughout her life...  When she went in for her mammogram, they found a lump on one side of her breast.  When doing  the x-ray they saw that the lump on her breast was nothing but they found a 4mm mass on her lung.  I am very scared because my mom is my everything.  Ever since she has went to the doctor she has been acting strange towards me and any time i bring up the subject to her to find out any information she tells me that she will not know until her next dr appointment....well she has had several different dr appointments and still says the same thing.  Not only that, they have found that her kidneys are in bad shape and may be failing.... i dont know what to do and everyday i worry.  two days ago she went in for a pulamenary test or whatever that is called and i overheard her talking and she said that they concluded she was very short of breath.  She wont quit smoking and its eating at me bc she wont tell me what is really going on.  I  understand but im hurting im her youngest daughter out of 7 and i lover her to death.  She is my hero and my everything.  Now she is telling me that she has to go back in, in about 3 more months for another pulomanary test and that in december they want to give her a catscan and biopsy it.  She also recently has been getting so tired during the day and i have never seen her drink an energy drink in her life and now she drinks them or coffee around 4-6 pm bc that is when she starts getting tired.  I dk if the Dr has perscribed her some medicine that is making her tired or anything.  she tells me everything is going to be fine.... One day i just said mom will u please just tell me if u have cancer and she replied with a "IM defeating it".  I easdrop on her conversations on the phone and recently She said on the phone that it is a mass and that right now and  they r waiting to do the tests in december ....she tells me its got to be in december bc right now it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.... I understand this but she also has a huge lump under her armpit and sorta between her neck and shoulder.  I dont know who to talk to bc she obviously i feel is trying to hide it from me and i just im so worried its on my mind everyday and i pray to god every night that my best friend, hero, rolemodel, my everything, my mom please god not to let her have cancer.... she also i kno had a colonoscopy performed two weeks ago as well.... could someone help me out or tell me what to expect how to maybe handle this i am going to start seeing a therapist bc i am so worried and she tells me not to tell my grandmother or anyone in the family what is going on so i dont really have anyone to talk to..... could someone please anyone give me some advice on what they think could be going on.....  

[cutecub00]

They are now saying that alot of people are getting lung cancer

and dont realize its from exspestos, the CDC is saying 1 out of 3 people

have developed lung cancer from exspestos (airborne pathogen).

I know for a fact there companies helping to get a settlement for anyone with

lung cancer. My aunt had lung cancer and found out it was caused by a infestation

in her house and won her case she was paid like 140 grand. They tried to settle out of

court but she took 'em for everything.. anyway here is the company's site that is doing it
http://www.lung-cancer-compensation.tk

hope that helped:)

[future_surgeon]

that was very touching. I'm never going to smoke ever.

[kel_pattons]

Everyone be aware, lung cance most often has no symptoms what so ever, until the stage has reached 3B to 4. My mother was having Neuropathy, which we now know can be a symptom of lung cancer. She was having pain in her hands, numbeness, tingling and extreme pain, she went to her doctor after two trips to the ER failed to provide an answer, her doctor decided to do a chest xray just to make sure nothing was wrong and that is when they found the lung cancer, she was stage 3B, they were pretty sure she was inoperable but decided to take an agressive approach with chemo and radiation therapy, after three cycles of each the tumors had shrunk enough to undergo surgery and remover her right lung and scrape the lymph nodes involved. She has now been cancer free for 1 and a half years, but it was a long painful road getting there, she was a smoker for fifty years, she has been smoke free for over two years now, we thought we were doing good, but she just had an endoscopy and it showed inflamation of the stomach which they believe is cancerous, many biopsies were taken and we now await the results. So to all the smokers out there, give it up now, because you can't get your life back when it starts going like this, trust me. To Hanaguchi: Tell your friend to get checked for COPD as well, my father developed that way before his lung cancer (which took his life in 04), Good luck to all of you and I wish your friend the best of luck. "Live your life today, love like you were never going to love again, and make each moment special for someone"

[Giveypup]

Yes, lung cancer for smokers and never-smokers is now considered to have a genetic component, and 2nd hand smoke, Radon, air pollution would augment the risk.

Only a CT scan with follow up with a PET scan will tell one whether lung cancer is likely.  Even then, one still needs a biopsy.

[lgde]

does lung cancer run in famillies?  My parents were very heavy smokers when we were kids.  My dad died 20 years ago from liung cancer, my mom has just been dxd and I have to see an oncologist for 2 spots in my lung.  Is all yjis coincidence or family related.  I do not smoke and very very few of our friends do either. lgde

[Giveypup]

An x-ray will miss lesions smaller than 8 mm.  A CT scan of the chest will pick up rice size lesions, which are infinitely more survivable.

Lung Cancer Alliance is a great resource for all things lung cancer.

[mexplorer]

There is some info here about Lung Cancer and its treatment

http://www.medical-explorer.com/cancer.php?025

[trft]

I agree with ipnotica.  I think the two biggest symptoms of lung cancer are (1) a previous behavior smoking cigarettes and (2) coughing up blood.  If you have any blood, you should see a doctor soon, imo.  What else?  Yeah, 20% of all heavy smokers get lung cancer.  So I'd ask my doc for an x-ray.  That's how I found mine... by accident... they were taking an x-ray of my back.  I had no idea I had lc with a 5cm tumor.  For the most part, the earlier you find non small cell lung cancer the better.  trfter

[ipnotica]

Unfortunately, lung cancer often produces no symptoms until it is at an advanced stage.  Symptoms of lung cancer include shortness of breath, persistent cough, coughing up blood, pain when coughing, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, hoarseness, chest pain, recurring bouts of bronchitis and/or pneumonia.  Less common symptoms which are usually associated with advanced lung cancer are difficulty swallowing, swelling of the face, swelling in the neck, pain under the ribs on the right side.

If your friend has any of these symptoms he should see a doctor right away.  He should have a chest x-ray, or a CT scan would be even better.  Lung cancer is much more treatable if caught in the early stages.

Please tell your friend to see a doctor - the sooner the better!