Is lung cancer easily confused with other respiratory diseases?

Video content is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Center for Oncology - Radiation Therapy - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Symptoms of lung cancer are not specific, very diverse, rich, easy to confuse with other common respiratory diseases. So what are the markers to detect lung cancer and distinguish lung cancer from other respiratory diseases?

Lung cancer in its early stages often has few obvious symptoms. Many patients may have a persistent dry cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath on exertion. These symptoms are easily confused with symptoms of upper respiratory tract diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia...
Therefore, in the early stages, these signs often cause confusion, causing patients to have psychological problems. Subjectively, it is very difficult to detect the disease. The way to detect the difference is: With common respiratory diseases: Symptoms such as dry cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath usually do not last long, can be resolved with treatment with suitable drugs.
However, with lung cancer: The nature of these symptoms is usually long-lasting, progressive, continuous, not responding to conventional treatments. At a later stage, the symptoms of lung cancer are often more obvious and typical, including:

1.1 Respiratory symptoms Cough increases, possibly coughing up sputum and blood Difficulty breathing: seen in the late stages when the tumor is large, pressing, and obstructing the airways. Wheezing, wheezing due to tumor compressing large bronchi. 1.2 Symptoms of tumor invasion and compression Tumor invades the chest wall causing chest pain: the location of the pain point usually corresponds to the tumor. In addition, patients may experience pleural effusion syndrome due to invasive tumor, pleural metastasis.
Tumor invades mediastinal components causing hiccups and shortness of breath, tumor compresses the diaphragm causing hoarseness due to compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, swelling of the face and upper body. Acute cardiac tamponade syndrome due to pericardial effusion, Swallowing due to tumor compressing the esophagus.
1.3 Symptoms of distant metastasis Lung cancer often metastasizes to organs such as liver, brain, bones, adrenal glands, pleura. In addition, lung cancer can cause 5 characteristic syndromes, including:
Horner's syndrome (English: cough): This is a syndrome when lung cancer affects nerves supplying the eyes and 1 facial part, causing groups of symptoms including: weakness, drooping eyelids, constriction of eyes - pupils, reduction or cessation of sweating in one area of ​​the face, shoulder pain. Superior vena cava syndrome: Causes swelling in the neck, face, arms, or chest. Headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness. This symptom affects the brain, progresses slowly and can be life-threatening. Paraneoplastic syndrome: There are cases where lung cancer produces hormones into the bloodstream, affecting tissues and organs even though it has not metastasized, this is called paraneoplastic syndrome. Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH (voice English: this die): Cancer cells will secrete the hormone ADH, causing the kidneys to retain water, reducing the amount of salt in the blood and causing specific symptoms, including: Anorexia, fatigue, muscle weakness, cramps, vomiting, nausea, confusion, restlessness. This syndrome can lead to coma and stroke. Cushing's syndrome (voice English: cop sing): makes patients prone to weight gain, weakness, easy bruising, often lethargy, forgetfulness, high blood pressure and blood sugar.

In Vietnam, lung cancer ranks second among the 10 most common cancers in both sexes, after liver cancer. In 2020, lung cancer is the cause of death for 23 797 Vietnamese people, also in the past year, Vietnam recorded 26,262 new cases of lung cancer.
Lung cancer is a worrisome disease, but if caught early, your doctor can offer much more effective treatments.
Periodic health check, cancer screening is still the method that Vinmec doctors and experts always advise people to be able to detect lung cancer early. Most cases of lung cancer treatment at Vinmec are discovered by chance, due to cancer screening or treatment and diagnosis of related diseases.
Every citizen needs to go for regular cancer screening once a year. During screening, all respiratory and lung abnormalities are carefully examined by a respiratory specialist and given treatment.
Currently, the examination and treatment services at Vinmec have many outstanding advantages such as: A team of highly qualified and experienced doctors, fully equipped with specialized means to diagnose and determine disease and stage classification. Pre-treatment phase: Endoscopy, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, gene-cell testing... There are full range of main treatment methods for cancer: surgery, Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant....