Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the bronchi, bronchial mucosa and other parts. According to the pathological characteristics, it can be divided into small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, of which non-small cell lung cancer can be divided into squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Lung cancer is not contagious, but has a familial tendency.
Secondly, if you smoke for a long time or inhale too many toxic and harmful gases, you can also induce lung cancer to a certain extent.
Lung cancer is not an acute condition, and there is a certain process from early to late stage. As for how long it takes, it has a lot to do with the difference in tumors, the treatment situation, and the physical strength and psychology of patients.
If the patient's tumor is not well divided and the physique is relatively poor, it can generally only survive for 3 to 6 months. If the patient actively cooperates, the disease will develop more slowly.
The symptoms of lung cancer are already obvious in the early stages, so it is necessary to pay attention when related symptoms appear. So what are the symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer?
1. Cough
Cough occurs in the early stages of lung cancer, which is mostly dry cough, mostly without sputum or with a small amount of white foamy sputum.
If you have lung cancer with chronic bronchitis, or have a bad habit of long-term smoking, coughing will be more frequent and the coughing sound will change. However, there are many causes of cough, so it is easy to misdiagnose and miss the best time for treatment.
2. Hemoptysis
Hemoptysis occurs because the blood vessels inside the tumor are ruptured or the capillaries of the bronchial mucosa are violated by the tumor, resulting in red blood capillaries or blood spots in the patient's sputum.
In general, there is rarely a large-mouth hemoptysis in the early stage of lung cancer, but hemoptysis is more likely to be found than other symptoms, so it is necessary to be vigilant when this symptom appears.
3. Chest tightness and shortness of breath
Patients in the early stages of lung cancer also experience chest tightness and shortness of breath. Especially during exercise, patients can clearly feel insufficient lung capacity and inability to keep up with breathing.
This is because lung tumors block the trachea, making it difficult for patients to breathe enough oxygen, resulting in chest tightness and shortness of breath and insufficient lung capacity.
4. Hoarseness
Lung cancer can also cause hoarseness, but many people mistakenly think it's caused by inflammation of the throat and neglect to check the lungs. In fact, when the lung tumor continues to develop, it will also compress the laryngeal nerve, which in turn will cause the patient's voice to become hoarse.
Therefore, if there is a cough, chest tightness and other symptoms at the same time as the sound hoarseness, it is recommended to do a lung examination in time.
5. Chest pain
Chest pain is also a major symptom in lung cancer patients. Lung tumors are usually located around the pleura and can easily cause irregular dull or dull pain. When the tumor directly invades the parietal pleura, the pain can also become pinprick-like, especially when coughing or breathing.
Because the pain is not obvious in the early stages of lung cancer, and sometimes the pain site and the lesion site are not consistent, this requires the patient to be careful to find out.
In addition to these symptoms, lung cancer can also cause other symptoms, such as fever and bone and joint pain. However, some lung cancer patients do not have any discomfort in the early stage, not even cough, which increases the difficulty of judging the condition.
Therefore, it is recommended that you conduct regular lung examinations, especially in people with high incidence of lung cancer, and pay more attention to lung health, such as those with family medical history and long-term smokers.