- Early Signs of Lung Cancer -
Signs and Symptoms of Bronchogenic Carcinoma Should Not be Ignored

Signs and symptoms of bronchogenic carcinoma may not be present until the disease is well established.

The smoking facts about lung cancer show that signs such as a persistent cough might be ignored, but early diagnosis is the key to lung cancer survival.

Smoking Facts About Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Lung cancer signs and symptoms are usually so mild that they are dismissed by many smokers as being insignificant.

Such is the power of smoking fiction.

The first symptoms of lung cancer may be nonexistent. In fact up to one fourth of the people diagnosed with lung cancer have no symptoms when the diagnosis is delivered.

Looking at this another way, it means that at least 75% of people who receive a diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma do have signs and symptoms but they are ignored or dismissed.

This may be because they are used to having these symptoms and do not consider them to be new or of unusual significance in signaling a new health condition or a change in health status.

Why would that be? Probably because the early signs of lung cancer are similar to other conditions that are not considered to be serious.

And there is also the recognition of the smoking fiction factor.

When all is said and done you will believe what you want to believe and no amount of sputum production or coughing up blood will get you to the doctor if, as a smoker, this is not a new and different way of starting (or ending) your day.

This highlights the significance of the smoking fiction factor.

In other words, many people have the early signs of lung cancer, but they dismiss them as being of no significance.

Smoking Facts About the First Symptoms of Lung Cancer

You can see from this list that lung cancer signs and symptoms are not specific to the disease. Other diseases could cause these same symptoms.

However, if you are a smoker and have any of these symptoms, they indicate that your body is changing as a result of the harmful effects of smoking on the respiratory system.

Smokers Cough or Early Signs of Lung Cancer?
• Persistent Cough - a smoker's cough is chronic and persistent. Many smokers wake up every morning and cough persistently until their lungs are cleared out. Coughing is a protective mechanism that keeps your lungs clear. A cough associated with an acute respiratory illness is normal, but it goes away when you recover from the illness. A persistent cough always signals that something is wrong.


• Shortness of breath - not being able to engage in the same level of activity without "catching your breath" is a sign that your blood oxygen level is not high enough to meet your body's demand. This is typical in lung diseases caused by smoking such as emphysema and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). It could also be a sign of heart disease.


• Wheezing - this occurs because the bronchial tubes go into spasm and become narrow. It can be a symptom of asthma or chronic bronchitis but always indicates that there is something going on in the lungs.


• Chest pain - pain in the chest is never a good sign and is certainly not normal. It can be one of the early signs of lung cancer or a symptom of a heart attack, or even a sign of acid reflux.


• Hemoptysis - this is the technical term for coughing up sputum with blood in it. This is not normal and always signals pathological changes in the lungs such as bronchogenic carcinoma, blood clots in your lungs or even tuberculosis.


• Weight loss and/or loss of appetite - unexplained loss of appetite or weight loss is a common sign of a cancerous process in the body that has not yet been detected.


• Pneumonia - this is an infection in the lung tissue. Some people receive a diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma when a chest X-ray is done to diagnose pneumonia. Smokers are more prone to develop pneumonia because of the harmful smoking effects on immune system functions.

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