Understanding the symptoms of metastatic lung cancer
Lung cancer, even when reached the metastatic stage might not show any symptoms when it is diagnosed. These types of cancer is usually identified when a chest X-ray is performed incidentally for another reason. The cancer is said to have reached the metastatic once it starts spreading into different parts of the body. It spreads with the help of lymph nodes. Once the malignant (cancerous) cells enters into the blood stream, they spread to the different parts of the body and start forming a cancerous tissue. This type of cancer is said to be metastatic and is usually referred to as stage IV lung cancer.
There are a number of symptoms that could indicate a possible development of metastatic lung cancer in a body:
A person who experiences any of these symptoms should not ignore and get a medical health check-up done.
Its general symptoms include cough, coughing up blood, or cough that contains traces of blood. Other general symptoms include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, reoccurring respiratory infections, shortness of breath and hoarseness in voice.
If a cough gets worse with time, then it should be examined by a health care provider. Hemoptysis or coughing up blood occurs in a significant number of people who eventually get diagnosed with lung cancer.
Shortness of breath is one of the common symptoms that many people diagnosed with lung cancer experience. The pain they experience might be dull, aching and persistent.
Symptoms of metastatic lung cancer depends on how severely the disease has spread and also the location of cancer.
Metastatic lung cancer most often spreads to the bones, the brain and the liver.
It causes yellowing of the skin and eyes if it has spread in the liver. Although, it may not cause any noticeable symptoms even at the time when it is diagnosed.
When the metastatic lung cancer spreads to the bones, it causes bone pain. The person might usually feel the pain in spine, thigh bones and the ribs.
If the metastatic lung cancer has spread to the brain then it causes difficulties such as headache, feeling weak on one side of the body, and seizures.
