In 10 years, lung cancer has increased sharply in women (2nd cause of death by cancer). If the disease often progresses silently, certain signs should attract attention. Cough, pain… Review of the 7 warning symptoms in women.
It is often mistakenly thought that lung cancer occurs mainly in men. Fake. Since 2010, lung cancer increases sharply in women (approximately 19,300 new cases per year in women, an increase of +4.3% per year between 2010 and 2023) due to the rise in smoking and kills 10,300 each yearreports the latest panorama of cancers in France 2023 from the National Cancer Institute (InCa). It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in France, behind breast cancer. Knowing its signs helps to diagnose it faster and increases the chances of recovery. At the beginning of the disease, the tumor is too small and does not cause symptoms. As it grows, the tumor usually causes respiratory problems And deterioration in general health (unusual and persistent fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite…). When they persist, however, some symptoms may attract attention.
1. A nocturnal cough
A cough that persists and intensifies is not specifically linked to lung cancer, but should alert. Above all, whether it is stronger at night or in the morning when you are lying down, and if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as chest or chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing up blood or general malaise (nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc.). In this case, you must consult your doctor without delay, who will carry out a clinical examination and can, if necessary, refer you to a specialist or prescribe tests such as chest x-ray if cancer is suspected. This examination may be followed by a CT scan or a biopsy.
→ The smokers often tend to think that coughing at night or in the morning is normal. However, this symptom is not trivial and must be subject to medical supervision. Only the doctor can define the origin of your cough.
2. Coughing up blood
“Bloody sputum or sputum is never harmless“, warns Dr Maurice Pérol, medical oncologist specializing in thoracic cancers at the Léon Bérard Center in Lyon. In medical language, this is called a hemoptysis. These spitting blood-tinged mucus must be a warning and bring you to consult your doctor quickly. If this symptom is neglected, the disease causing it may progress and worsen. Coughing up blood is not always a sign of a serious illness and can hide simple bronchitis, but keep in mind that it can also be lung cancer or another disease of the respiratory tract. (pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, etc.). Only examinations (a clinical examination followed by an x-ray of the lungs and a blood test) will make it possible to orient the diagnosis.
→ Coughing up blood when you are a smoker should immediately lead you to consult a doctor.
3. Chest pain
“When the tumor is large and reaches the pleura, it can cause chest pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe deeply“, says Dr. Pérol. The pleura is a membrane attached to the lung which is very innervated and which can cause severe pain when attacked.
4. Difficulty breathing
In the absence of proven heart problems, shortness of breath, unusual shortness of breath, or wheezing may suggest lung cancer. If these respiratory symptoms, which are quite common and not specific to lung cancer, persist, especially if you smoke or if you have smoked (even if you have stopped smoking for many years), consult your doctor without delay.
5. Trouble swallowing
More rarely, lung cancer can cause difficulty swallowing (medically called a dysphagia). This is the case when the tumor compresses the esophagus. This swallowing disorder is sometimes associated with false food routesthat is, when swallowed food or liquid passes through the airways (trachea) instead of going through the digestive tract.
6. Paralysis on one side of the body
As the tumor grows and metastasizes to other organs, other physical manifestations may occur. The symptoms are different depending on the organ concerned. For example, brain metastases can lead to severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, seizures, mental confusion, balance, memory and speech disorders and sometimes hemiplegia: paralysis of one or more parts of the body on one side only, which may be total or partial. In the first place, consult a neurologist to make a diagnosis and consider appropriate treatment. The diagnosis is first clinical then it is completed by other examinations in order to specify the cause of the hemiplegia (CVA, tumour, etc.).
7. Back pain
The vast majority of cancers can spread to the bones. This is the case with lung cancer, which when it metastasizes to the bones, can cause bone pain especially in the spine, ribs, arms and legs. Once they are established in the bone, the tumor cells “nibble” the bone, which can also cause vertebral collapse or bone fractures. These symptoms should alert you and lead you to consult your doctor. The latter will first assess your symptoms, ask you for your medical history, your risk factors and perform a physical examination. Then, additional examinations such as a bone scintigraphy or a PET-scan will make it possible to look for the presence of any bone metastases.
Does lung cancer hurt?
“The lung is an organ that has very little innervation for pain.explains Dr. Pérol. A tumor can therefore develop in the lung, reach 5 or 6 cm, do no harm and go unnoticed for a long time“This is why lung cancer is often discovered by chance on a medical imaging assessment carried out to look for another pathology or detected at an advanced or metastatic stage. “These are often the formation of metastases in other organs who will be symptomatic and reveal the disease“, specifies our interlocutor. For example, bone metastases can cause bone pain or broken bones, brain metastases can lead to intense headaches, paralysis on one side of the body or memory problems…
Same symptoms in women and men?
“Symptoms of lung cancer are identical in men and women. On the other hand, the average age of onset is between 60 and 65 years in women, but a little later in men (67 years on average). Another difference between men and women: we see that a certain type of lung cancer is more common in women than in men: this is cancer due to a genetic alteration called a “mutation” (and therefore which is not linked to exposure to tobacco). It is not yet known why this cancer affects women more often than men.“, concludes the oncologist. It should be noted that cancer due to a genetic alteration causes the same symptoms as cancer linked to smoking.
Thanks to Dr Maurice Pérol, medical oncologist specializing in thoracic cancers at the Léon Bérard Center in Lyon.