Symptoms of Cancer - sign and symptom of lung cancer

Patients present with tumour site-specific symptoms, e.g. pain, and signs, e.g. a mass, ulceration or bleeding, which readily identify the primary site of the cancer. On the other hand, many may seek medical attention when more systemic and non-specific symptoms occur such as weight loss, fatigue, and anorexia. These usually indicate a more advanced stage of the disease except in some paraneoplastic and ectopic endocrine syndromes (see below). Other patients are only diagnosed upon the discovery of established metastases such as the back pain of metastatic prostatic cancer or the liver enlargement of metastatic gastrointestinal cancer.

Other indirect effects of the cancer manifest as paraneoplastic syndromes that are often associated with specific types of cancer and are reversible with treatment of the cancer. Autoimmune syndromes occur through antibodies with cross-reactivity between tumour antigens and normal tissues such as the acetylcholine release sites in the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome associated with small-cell lung cancer.

Cancer-associated immunosuppression can lead to reactivation of latent infections such as herpes zoster.

The coagulopathy of cancer may present with thrombophlebitis, deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary emboli, particularly in association with cancers of pancreas, stomach and breast.

Cachexia of advanced cancer is due to release of chemokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF), while other symptoms are related to peptide or hormone release, e.g. carcinoid or Cushing's syndrome, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) release.

Cancer diagnosis

Cancer Tip Remember you are receiving drugs (chemo-therapy) already. Alcohol and other drugs mayinterfere with the treatment(s) you are receiving.Your kidneys and liver are already working extrahard to deal with chemotherapy. Don’t over-stress them with more drugs.

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Health Tip A headache diary will help you keep track of the amount of medication you are taking and the frequency with which headaches occur.

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