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Signs & Symptoms of a Recurrence in Squamous Cell Lung Cancer

Recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer is ultimately a "non-small" cell lung cancer that has returned some time after treatment. This type of lung cancer behaves, according to the Mayo Clinic, like all other "non-small" cell lung cancers but consists of a different type of cancer cell and affects a different type of cell within the body. Typically, it is a carcinoma that originates within the thin, flat cells of the lining and passages of the lungs. If someone experiences a recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer, he usually suffers from certain signs and symptoms that have become "hallmarks" of the disease.

  1. Persistent Cough

    • One of the more common signs and symptoms of recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer is either the return or the development of a persistent cough. For some people, they will begin to suffer a return of a chronic cough experienced during the initial diagnosis of lung cancer. For others, it is a development of a cough that may be "new" yet still chronic in nature. Many people refer to it as a "smoker's cough," since most forms of lung cancer are due to smoking, though you wouldn't necessarily need to be a smoker to suffer from this. This cough may also bring with it mucus as well as blood.

    Respiratory Disturbance

    • Another common sign is a disturbance or disruption in respiration. Most of the time, a person with recurrent lung cancer will experience trouble or difficulty in breathing, as if she isn't getting enough oxygen. Other times, a person will suffer from shortness of breath that is accompanied by periods of wheezing or rasping.

    Pain

    • It is also possible to experience some pain and discomfort within the chest. This discomfort may be a tightness or heaviness throughout the whole of the chest. It may be a dull ache emanating from the lungs. It can also be a more intense, shooting pain. The way in which pain manifests is really dependent on the person suffering from the pain as well as the severity of the cancer itself.

    Hoarseness

    • Someone suffering from recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer may also begin to suffer a certain amount of hoarseness within his voice. This may partly be due to the presence of a chronic cough or the development and progression of the cancerous cells. Much like pain, it really depends on the person how the cancer will affect him.

    Common Cancer Symptoms

    • Along with the more "lung cancer specific" signs and symptoms, there is also the potential with recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer for a person to suffer from common cancer symptoms. These include loss of appetite, loss of weight, fatigue, weakness and exhaustion.

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