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First Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer. It is important to recognize the first signs and symptoms of this disease in order to receive treatment as soon as possible.

  1. Symptoms

    • In the earliest stages of lung cancer, there aren't many symptoms. Some symptoms that do show up include chest pain, wheezing, chronic cough and hoarseness.

    Causes

    • Cancer cells developing in the lungs cause the symptoms. This damages and kills the other cells in the lungs, causing breathing to be labored and a chronic cough and noticeable hoarseness to develop.

    Effects

    • These symptoms can cause extreme discomfort in breathing. Without treatment, the symptoms eventually worsen and cause bleeding in the lungs.

    Identification

    • Identifying the early symptoms of lung cancer can be difficult, because there may be no signs at all. A change in the normal cough and a cough that doesn't go away are two signs that lung cancer may have developed. A distinct wheezing or loud sound when breathing is another sign.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Lung cancer is primarily caused by smoking. By avoiding smoking and second-hand smoke, the chance of developing this disease decreases dramatically. Other risk factors include excessive alcohol consumption and exposure to chemicals such as radon gas and asbestos. Avoiding these circumstances can decrease the chance of lung cancer.

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