Lung cancer is one of the worst diseases of our century. Pulmonary oncology ranks first in cancer mortality. The prevalence of this disease is due to the huge number of smokers around the world. This is confirmed by statistics: for 10 people with lung cancer, 9 are heavy smokers.
Other factors that provoke cancer include: harmful production, chronic lung diseases, alcoholism, poor ecology of megacities. The danger of lung cancer is that it is detected late, when treatment can no longer give positive results. When diagnosed with lung cancer, the first symptoms are not detected at the first stage of the disease, and severe pain begins when there are already metastases. Moreover, pain often radiates to completely different places: for example, if the tumor is in the upper part of the lung, then the shoulder can hurt, if in the lower part, discomfort can occur in the liver or pancreas. Often pain in cancer is confused with osteochondrosis.
Lung cancer. First symptoms:
- Shortness of breath.
- Persistent cough.
- Exposure of sputum, in later stages with blood.
- Dramatic weight loss.
- Unwell.
- Pain when inhaling or coughing.
If you have at least some of these symptoms, you should consult a therapist and get an examination. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of saving lives. After all, it is pulmonary oncology that develops rapidly. When lung cancer develops, the first symptoms may not be quite usual, they appear earlier than standard signs. Finding them in time can significantly simplify treatment.
Indirect signs of lung cancer:
- The nails on the hands become round and bulging, and the phalanges of the fingers thicken. The fingers are shaped like sausages. This sign is reliable if it is not a congenital form of nails, but acquired recently. When diagnosed with lung cancer, the first symptoms may appear like this.
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the cervical, chest, axillary areas. The lymph node above the clavicle - Virchow's node - becomes especially noticeable. The increase may be temporary and then go away on its own. This inflammation should not be ignored. You need to do at least a fluorography.
What other symptoms of lung cancer can there be?
A tumor in the lungs can affect the appearance of the eyes. This happens if the formation is located in the upper lobe of the lung and grows into certain nerve nodes that are associated with the eye. So,three signs: the upper eyelid droops, a constricted pupil that does not respond to light, or the eyeball itself goes inside the eye socket. If one or all of these symptoms are present, then you should not only contact the optometrist, but also check the lungs.
When diagnosed with lung cancer, symptoms and treatment depend on the stage of the disease.
Lung cancer is treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. As a rule, these procedures are carried out in a complex manner. It is important to note that cancer is not treated with folk remedies.
Prevention of the disease includes: quitting smoking, proper nutrition, exercise, walking in the fresh air, and, of course, the annual fluorography.
