What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

[hanaguchi]

What are they syptoms (symptoms) 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

[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!  

[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

[mexplorer]

There is some info here about Lung Cancer and its treatment

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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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 (inflammation) 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"

[future_surgeon]

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