What are the symptoms of lung cancer?



Symptoms of non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer are basically the same.

Early symptoms may include:

  • lingering or worsening cough
  • coughing up phlegm or blood
  • chest pain that worsens when you breathe deeply, laugh, or cough
  • hoarseness
  • shortness of breath
  • wheezing
  • weakness and fatigue
  • loss of appetite and weight loss

You might also have recurrent respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis.

As cancer spreads, additional symptoms depend on where new tumors form. For example, if in the:

  • lymph nodes: lumps, particularly in the neck or collarbone
  • bones: bone pain, particularly in the back, ribs, or hips
  • brain or spine: headache, dizziness, balance issues, or numbness in arms or legs
  • liver: yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice)

Tumors at the top of the lungs can affect facial nerves, leading to drooping of one eyelid, small pupil, or lack of perspiration on one side of the face. Together, these symptoms are called Horner syndrome. It can also cause shoulder pain.

Tumors can press on the large vein that transports blood between the head, arms, and heart. This can cause swelling of the face, neck, upper chest, and arms.

Lung cancer sometimes creates a substance similar to hormones, causing a wide variety of symptoms called Para neoplastic syndrome, which include:

  • muscle weakness
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • fluid retention
  • high blood pressure
  • high blood sugar
  • confusion
  • seizures
  • coma

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Lung cancer and back pain

Back pain is fairly common in the general population. It’s possible to have lung cancer and unrelated back pain. Most people with back pain don’t have lung cancer.

Not everyone with lung cancer gets back pain, but many do. For some people, back pain turns out to be one of the first symptoms of lung cancer.

Back pain can be due to the pressure of large tumors growing in the lungs. It can also mean that cancer has spread to your spine or ribs. As it grows, a cancerous tumor can cause compression of the spinal cord.

That can lead to neurologic deterioration causing:

  • weakness of the arms and legs
  • numbness or loss of sensation in the legs and feet
  • urinary and bowel incontinence
  • interference with the spinal blood supply

Without treatment, back pain caused by cancer will continue to worsen. Back pain may improve if treatment such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy can successfully remove or shrink the tumor.

In addition, your doctor can use corticosteroids or prescribe pain relievers such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For more severe pain, opioids such as morphine or oxycodone may be needed.

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