You’d be right if you thought that the most common symptoms of lung cancer involve the lungs. In fact, constant coughing, coughing up blood or excessive mucus, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort are all typical signs of lung cancer. That is not always true, though. In reality, there are a number of unexpected signs and symptoms that might signal lung cancer.
The American Cancer Society’s predictions for lung cancer in the United States in 2022 are as follows:
• Roughly 236,740 new cases of lung cancer (that’s 117,910 in men and 118,830 in women);
• Roughly 130,180 deaths from lung cancer (that’s 68,820 in men and 61,360 in women).
This disease primarily affects the elderly. The majority of those who are diagnosed are 65 or older; just a tiny minority of people who are diagnosed are under 45. The typical age at which people are diagnosed with lung cancer is around 70.
The lifetime risk of developing lung cancer
Overall, a man’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is around 1 in 15; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 17. These figures include persons who smoke as well as those who do not. People who smoke are at a significantly higher risk, whereas those who do not smoke are at a lesser risk.
What kinds of symptoms would be unexpected or surprising? The following symptoms may not appear to be related to our lungs, yet they are often signs of lung cancer.
