Coughing as a symptom of lung cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in both men and women. Lung cancer occurs most frequently between the ages of 55 and 60 and mainly affects smokers or people who have had to deal with carcinogenic substances such as asbestos or arsenic at work. Typical symptoms of lung cancer include weight loss, night sweats and fever (the so-called B-symptoms), chronic cough or frequent colds.
In the later course of the disease, shortness of breath and coughing up blood may also occur. In most cases, however, the symptoms do not appear until the tumor, due to its growth, compresses and traps other structures such as bronchial tubes, whereupon the body reacts by coughing. At this (often very late) stage, the tumor may already be inoperable or metastasized.
If lung cancer is suspected, in addition to a physical examination, a blood sample would be taken to determine specific tumor markers. Subsequently, an X-ray, a computed tomography, as well as a bronchoscopy with tissue sampling would be performed. Due to the often very late diagnosis, lung cancer is associated with a very poor prognosis.
In early stages it can be cured with surgery. In more than two thirds of patients, however, lung cancer is diagnosed very late. In most cases, these cases have already metastasized, which rules out surgical cure.
The only remaining treatment options are radiation or chemotherapy.Although this can delay patient survival by a few months or a few years, it can no longer cure lung cancer. For this reason, it is important to clarify chronic coughs and recurring colds, especially in smokers. Especially for patients younger than 40 years of age, coughing often hides lung cancer.
