10 Symptoms That May Indicate Large Cell Carcinoma

Large cell carcinoma might not be a common type of lung cancer, as it accounts for only about nine percent of cases, but it spreads quickly and has devastating results. The survival rate for large cell carcinoma of the lungs is minimal. Proof of this is the fact the estimated five-year survival rate for large cell carcinoma is somewhere around eleven percent. Early detection provides the best chance at making a full recovery, so it is crucial to pay close attention to mounting physical symptoms. It's time to get familiar with these common symptoms. Start reading to reveal all the details now.

1. Chronic Cough

One of the most common signs of large cell carcinoma is developing a chronic cough. At first, the cough might not seem intrusive, and you might feel more of shortness of breath than an actual cough. As time continues, however, the cough can worsen and will eventually turn chronic. The reason a cough might not occur right away is large cell carcinoma tends to impact the outer areas of the lungs, unlike other forms of lung cancer. This is why it is important to pay attention to other symptoms that tend to present themselves earlier on with large cell carcinoma.

2. Coughing Up Blood

Another highly common and very startling symptom of large cell carcinoma is coughing up blood, otherwise known as hemoptysis. Studies have shown about seven to ten percent of lung cancer patients present with hemoptysis as a symptom and about twenty percent of lung cancer patients will begin to cough up blood during their illness. While blood might originally come from the lungs, it can potentially come from vomiting, inside of the nose, or within the upper respiratory system. This is why it is important for a doctor treating a lung cancer patient to figure out where the blood is coming from as well as how much blood the patient is losing every day. This symptom can be treated by a bronchoscopy or the creation of an artificial block to stop the bleeding.