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Lung Cancer Symptoms

In addition to causing pleural mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos also causes lung cancer and many of the symptoms are the same. An estimated 4 percent of lung cancers in the United States are caused by asbestos exposure, and almost all pleural mesothelioma cancers are caused by asbestos.

Asbestos-induced lung cancer symptoms, like the symptoms of other asbestos-related diseases, can take decades to surface after exposure to asbestos occurs. The latency period for pleural mesothelioma ranges between 20 and 50 years, and it can take that long for asbestos-caused lung cancer symptoms to arise.

Lung cancer patients may experience the following symptoms as a direct result of their cancer:

• Coughing, especially if the cough persists or gets worse
• Pain in the chest, shoulder, or back that is unrelated to pain caused by coughing
• A notable change in volume or color of sputum
• Shortness of breath
• Hoarseness
• Stridor (harsh sounds with each breath)
• Recurrent lung problems, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• Coughing up phlegm or mucus, especially if it is tinged with blood
• Coughing up blood
• Wheezing

Other symptoms:

• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Headaches, bone or joint pain
• Bone fractures not related to accidental injury
• Neurological symptoms, such as unsteady gait or memory loss
• Neck or facial swelling
• General weakness
• Bleeding
• Blood clots

Sources

1. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos
2. http://www.lungcancer.org/reading/symptoms.php
3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung
4. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038/DSECTION=symptoms