Lung Cancer Among People Who Never Smoked
Asthma Or COPD: How Symptoms Could Mask Signs Of Lung Cancer
Certain chronic conditions that affect the lungs, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can have symptoms that mimic lung cancer. A recent study found that this could delay a timely lung cancer diagnosis. The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer.
The study focused on people already living with chronic conditions that have symptoms similar to those of lung cancer. The researchers found that people with only 1 chronic condition were diagnosed with lung cancer about a month later than people who did not have a chronic condition. People who had 2 or more chronic conditions were diagnosed more than 2 months later.
For some people, the delay in diagnosis could be explained because they had symptoms of another condition that masked the early signs of lung cancer. This can make it harder for doctors to identify when cancer has developed.
"For people with asthma or COPD, it is critically important that they talk with their doctor about monitoring and screening for potential lung cancers. The sooner a patient is diagnosed, the sooner they can start treatment. And the sooner they start treatment, the more likely they are to have a good outcome," said Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, FASCO, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expert and the Leslye M. Heisler Professor for Lung Cancer Excellence at Penn Medicine.
How are asthma, COPD, and lung cancer symptoms different?Asthma, COPD, and lung cancer all start in the respiratory system. They all can cause breathing problems. But how are they different?
For people with asthma, symptoms often appear during an asthma flare-up or attack. A flare-up can be triggered by things like pollen, dust, exercise, or an allergy. Flare-ups can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing and tightness in the chest.
For people with COPD, symptoms tend to get worse over time. Symptoms of COPD include coughing up mucus and having trouble breathing during physical activity.
For people with lung cancer, symptoms often don't show up in early stages and can get worse over time, too. This makes it hard to tell the difference between COPD and lung cancer symptoms. However, lung cancer has several key signs and symptoms that are different from those of asthma or COPD, including:
"If you experience any new symptoms or a change in symptoms, it's important to let your doctor know right away," said Dr. Aggarwal. "They can help you determine the cause of any new or changing symptoms."
Talking about lung cancer risk with your doctorHaving either asthma or COPD can increase the risk of developing lung cancer. If you have one or both conditions, talk with your doctor about your lung cancer risk. They can tell you what symptoms to watch for that may signal lung cancer. They may also recommend yearly lung cancer screening if you are eligible for it.
Some questions to ask your doctor include:
Dr. Aggarwal is an Associate Editor on ASCO's Patient Information Editorial Board.
Woman With Terminal Lung Cancer Shares Five Warning Signs – She Ignored One 'for Years'
A woman with terminal stage 4 lung cancer has shared the five symptoms she noticed before being diagnosed – including one she ignored "for years."
Linda Chavez was just 34 when she found out she had Metastatic Bronchial Carcinoma, following a series of misdiagnoses. The disease has now spread to her brain and bones.
She now regularly takes to her TikTok channel, @theterminalcancershow, to share her story and update her followers on her progress. Now, in a collaboration with the channel Young Lung Cancer Is A Thing, Linda has spoken about about some of the warning signs she experienced before she was delivered the bad news.
Persistent coughLinda admitted she had a mild cough for a very long time before she finally grew suspicious. "I had a cough for years. I can honestly say it was years," she admitted.
"Eventually it was deeper [in my chest], it felt very painful, it felt piercing in my chest. However, definitely, please do not ignore persistent cough."
Headache"Symptom number two was a constant headache," Linda added, admitting she would "roll out of bed and take Tylenol," a brand name for paracetamol, "every single morning" for more than nine months.
A headache isn't necessarily a symptom of lung cancer itself. However, as is the case for Linda, the disease often spreads to other parts of the body. "Cancer that spreads can cause pain, nausea, headaches or other symptoms depending on what organ is affected," Mayo Clinic reports.
Aches and painsSimilarly, cancer that has spread to the bones can cause bodily aches and pains – something Linda struggled with before she was diagnosed. "Number three symptom was pain in my bones and my body," Linda continued.
"[It was] kind of like when you stub your toe, that initial throbbing, pulsating pain."
Fatigue"Number four, I was definitely exhausted beyond belief and out of breath. I literally had to take shallow breaths due to the pain that I was feeling every time I was inhaling or exhaling."
Johns Hopkins Medicine explains fatigue can be an early warning sign of multiple types of cancer. "Cancer uses your body's nutrients to grow and advance, so those nutrients are no longer replenishing your body. This 'nutrient theft' can make you feel extremely tired," the medical organisation writes.
Nausea"Lastly, number five, was nausea. I was definitely very, very nauseous towards [the time I was] getting diagnosed. It was due to the brain [...] cancer." She explained a lot of the cancer on her brain has affected the right frontal lobe, which she said "controls hunger, cravings, nausea."
Nausea is particularly common in those with cancers of the abdomen, brain, central nervous system, or that have spread to the bones. According to the National Institutes of Health, nausea and vomiting is observed in between 40 and 70 percent of cancer cases.
Lung cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the UK, after breast cancer and prostate cancer. According to the NHS, more than 43,000 people are diagnosed each year.
In most instances, lung cancer will not cause any symptoms in the early stages. However, as the disease progresses, sufferers may notice a persistent cough, may cough up blood, may suffer from persistent breathlessness, have unexplained tiredness and weight loss, or suffer an ache or pain when breathing or coughing.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Linda's treatment.
Cause, Symptoms, Stages And Treatments Of Lung Cancer
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Ravi Patel, from the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center, joined 17 News at Sunrise to talk more about this leading cause of cancer in the United States.
Lung Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States claiming thousands of lives every year.
How to spot the warning signs of head and neck cancers
According to Dr. Patel, vaping has now become the popular alternative to cigarettes within the younger community. Even if vaping does not lead to lung cancer, there is no guarantee to developing other life-threatening lung issues.
Any symptoms such as shortness of breath and long-lasting coughs should be reported to a doctor.
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To call attention to Lung Cancer Awareness Month, there will be free Lung Cancer CT scans available at the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC).
Give a call to the CBCC office at (661) 322-2206 for a free and non-evasive test.
Watch the full segment in the video player above to learn more about lung cancer.
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