Lung cancer symptoms are so numerous that sometimes it becomes difficult to detect if it is actually lung cancer. The symptoms are similar to the symptoms caused by other ailments which easily show up at the early stage. Besides the normal visible symptoms; there are other symptoms which occur within the body and these symptoms are signs to show how advanced and how far the disease has spread to other body parts.
Apparently, other symptoms will definitely occur once the cancer spreads to different parts of the body. The symptoms that will be observed are according to the body parts that are infected. When a cancer has spread to the bone, the symptoms are normally pains in the bones and joints of the body. The bones will be weak and cannot carry the body properly. Also, cancer that has reach the brain will show symptoms like dizziness, seizure, unsteadiness, memory loss, losing balance and so on. Any part of the body affected with the cancer will develop symptoms in that same part of the body.
Sometimes when lung cancer spreads, it can strike a nerve in the body which will affect the nervous system connected to that particular nerve. When this occurs, it causes a group of symptoms to show up, this group of symptoms is termed as “syndrome.”
There are several syndromes caused by cancer affecting nerves in the body, they are:
- Horner syndrome:
This occurs when a tumor is formed in the other part of the lungs, thereby damaging a nerve which passes from the upper chest to the neck region. This effect can cause symptoms like neck, chest and shoulder pains. Other symptoms attributed to this syndrome includes the absence of sweat, weakness of an eye and so on.
- Paraneoplastic syndrome:
Lung cancer can disperse to other parts of the body to cause paraneoplastic syndrome. This group of syndrome is very rare as it occurs when the cancer produces an hormone-like substance that affect other organs and tissues in the body. The symptoms of this effect can be detected in the muscle, blood, cardiovascular systems and other related parts.
Consequently, lung cancer can bring infections called bronchitis or pneumonia which is caused by a cancer tumor located near the voice airway. If you have received several treatment on these infections without any positive changes, they could turn out to be symptoms of lung cancer.