Why you should be aware of common lung cancer symptoms

Lung cancer is one of the most dangerous types of cancers around. This is because it tends to spread to other parts of the body at a very early stage — by the time the cancer is detected, it has already invaded other body organs. This, of course, makes it far more difficult to control or cure. The process of cancers spreading to other locations in the body is called metastasis.

Also, lung cancer tends to metastasize to critical body organs like the liver, brain adrenal glands and the bones. This multiplies the danger manifold.

For this reason, having a knowledge of common lung cancer symptoms can potentially save a life. The earlier lung cancer is detected, the better are the chances of affecting a cure or at least, controlling the disease so that the probability of survival goes up.

The symptoms of lung cancer can include shortness of breath and wheezing. This condition is called dyspnoea. A cough that is unusually persistent and does not respond to treatment may also be a sign of cancer. Pain in the chest, fatigue, coughing up blood, etc are common indicators of the disease. A sudden change in voice quality - with the voice becoming hoarser - may signal this disease.

Of course, many of these symptoms are common to other health conditions. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor if one or more of these signs are present. It may be necessary to run various tests to arrive at the precise cause of these symptoms. Please keep in mind that the above is not an exhaustive list of lung cancer symptoms.

Lung cancer is categorized into four stages, with Stage 1 indicating the beginning of the disease where the cancer is present only in the lungs. Stage 4 lung cancer is an advanced stage of the disease where the cancer has spread to the bone, adrenal glands, liver and / or other body locations.

The survival rates for those with Stage 1 cancer are far higher as compared to those whose condition has progressed to Stage 4 of this disease.