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Lung Cancer Symptoms Guide
Lung cancer symptoms, getting to know them. The most prevailing cancer in the United States is lung cancer. There is a total number of 170,000 new cases each year accounting for about 15% of all cancer cases. Men are the most affected by lung cancer than women. But due to the increased incidence among women the number may get equaled to that of men in the coming years. Currently, there are more cases of lung cancer than breast cancer in women. Lung cancer symptoms are easy to identify, but unfortunately symptoms exhibit only in the advance stages of the disease. On the contrary, lung cancer is most common among cigarette smokers, as evidence shows that non-smokers also get lung cancer.
Histologically, lung tissue is made up of cells of a certain shape and function. The cells proliferate extensively without considering the specific shape and function of the lung due to lack of communication of the cells. This wild proliferation of lung cells form tumors, which obstruct the lung and try to stop the lung function. Due to the vast size of the lungs, cancer cells may harbor for years without any symptoms. Unfortunately, a persistent cough and sore throat can often be taken as bronchitis or a cold but not as a lung cancer symptom. Symptoms of lung cancer include shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, swelling of the neck and face, loss of appetite or weight loss, constant chest pain, persistent coughing, coughing up blood, fatigue, and repeated problems with bronchitis or pneumonia. These lung cancer symptoms may also occur due to other lung problems, therefore, it is of importance to get an opinion from your physician. Lung cancer symptoms are innumerable. Intermittent coughing is the first and foremost lung cancer symptom noticed immediately after the growth cells; this is mainly due to the blockade of an air passage. The coughing is followed by a pain in the back, shoulder, and chest and will be constant, which may or may not be related to coughing. If the lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body the patient may experience symptoms that do not appear to be at all linked to the lung. Lung cancer symptoms vary depending upon the affected organs, and the symptoms noticed are bleeding, blood clots, bone fractures, pain, weakness and headaches. Mesothelioma, another type of lung cancer, also exhibits different lung cancer symptoms. The onset of this cancer could be 10 to 60 years from the time of asbestos exposure. Lung cancer treatment is limited as different types of carcinomas involve different areas of the lung in the cases of small cell carcinoma, large cell caracinoma, epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, which all give rise to different lung cancer symptoms.
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