Possible symptoms of lung cancer

[worriedman]

Hi,

My english isn't perfect.

Im 45 y old  and i am a smoker for +18 a 20y.

1 week ago i started  to have a hoarseness voice and 3 days after that start i feel soms chest pain.  

In february i got 4 months diarrhea, the family doctor did a stool test and the stool test was ok. after 4 motnhs my stool test was ok.

Sometimes i got chest pain (i  read on several sites the chest pain of lung cancer must be worse when you laugh, cough,.. ) and when i laugh or cough.. my chest pain stays the same.. not worser.. and 1 week i feel it... then i feel nothing for serveral weeks..

Now i got a hoarseness voice.. 1 week now. i think today my hoarseness is going  better.. 

I went tuesday 18 juli to the family doctor and i did a blood test (it was normal) and she  saw my throat was a little bit red. She said my throat is slightly inflamed and the hoarseness is from the inflamation.  She also said its viral and that i can't take any medicine for this..

 

I talk if it should be lung cancer be because when i search on the internet i read the badest things... as lung cancer .. 

But i'm afraid that the chest pain that i feel sometimes and my hoarseness voice is a symtom of lung cancer.

 

-If you got lung cancer (early?), is the blood test normal?

-if you got a hoarseness voice from lung cancer, is the throat slighty inflamed (i feel a little bit a sore throat) or you got only a hoarseness voice without an inflamed throat)

-about the chest pain.. now i don't feel it.. but sometimes i feel a little chest pain.. which i feel 80% of the time.. after a few days he is gone. I think if its lung cancer i should feel it all the time, for weeks... of longer an and should be worser when i laugh or try to cough.

What do you think? 

Thanks for your help/advice

[RJN]

Dear worriedman,

As a former heavy smoker, I can understand with your concern. However, not all smokers get lung cancer, and not all lung cancer patients are former smokers. Blood tests will not tell you much, and hoarseness/chest pains can be down to many other things.

Having said this, you need to start by getting an x-ray. This is step 1 to understand whether there is anything to worry about. Even if your doctor isn’t inclined to do this, make sure you get one (a private one isn’t all that expensive, if you have to).

If there is nothing there, you can think of it as a wake-up call. And IF there is anything suspicious, you can proceed and hopefully get treatment soon.

I don’t want to be the nagger, but try to find a way to quit. I quit at 41, initially by vaping, and it is the best thing I have ever done. I doubt I’d have been able to survive all my treatments if I was still a smoker. So it is ALWAYS a good time to quit.

Please get an x-ray and come back to tell us how you are doing,

Rikke

[LouT]

RJN has given you good advice.  Of course lung cancer can occur along with chest pain, but often it doesn't.  The only real tests for lung cancer are CT Scan, PET Scan, and (most importantly) a biopsy.  If no growths are found in the scans then it is likely that your symptoms are caused by something other than lung cancer.  If you'd like to learn more about the diagnostic process for lung cancer you can look here.

Good luck with your testing.  My advice is similar to RJN's; quit smoking, ask your doctor about your fears, get the necessary test to determine why you are suffering the symptoms you are.

Lou

[LilyMir]

If your symptoms persist, insist on imaging: Xray as minimum, or consider CT. Blood tests do not detect much and imaging is usually the gold standard. You may be suffering from anxiety and this does not help with vague symptoms but do not ignore persistent symptoms and insist on an investigation if they continue. Try to calm down and stop reading Dr. Google, it is not helpful without a diagnosis first and even then most info online is ridiculously outdated.  Good luck!