What are the Characteristics of Stage 4 Lung Cancer?

Discover Characteristic Description of Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Doctors mark the advanced stage of lung cancer, known as stage 4 lung cancer, by observing symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and persistent cough. These conditions might worsen over time.

What is Stage 4 Lung Cancer?

Cancer is the term that refers to the uncontrolled division of cells that develops a tumour. Abnormal cell division hinders the normal functioning of the lungs in lung cancer. In stage 4 of lung cancer, the cancer spreads to both lungs, the areas around the lungs, or distant body organs. This is a serious stage of the disease and requires professional medical intervention.

Physical Characteristic Description of Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Stage 4 cancer can be divided into stages 4A and 4B. Usual characteristics of fourth-stage lung cancer include:

• The size of the tumour can be anything above 7cm.
• Its spread is not limited to the lungs.
• It may get spread to nearby lymph nodes or the other lungs.
• The spread of cancer can also be in the heart (pericardium) and the layers covering the lung (the pleura).
• It can also spread to the heart (pericardial effusion) or the fluid between the two layers covering the lung (pleural effusion).

Some Characteristic Symptoms of Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Most people do not experience any symptoms of lung cancer until the later stages. Some of the characteristic symptoms of stage 4 lung cancer are as follows:

• Persistent Cough: A cough that lasts more than 3 weeks and worsens over time needs medical attention.
• Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea): Most times, persistent coughs are accompanied by shortness of breath or can cause trouble in breathing.
• Coughing up Blood (Hemoptysis): It occurs due to the growth of a tumour or the spread of cancer to other areas. Coughing up blood can also indicate the development of complications such as infection or obstruction in the airway.
• Swollen Lymph Nodes: Swollen lymph nodes, mostly around the neck or collarbone area, can indicate stage 4 lung cancer.
• Sudden Weight Loss: Even if a person eats enough and more, there is usually some unexplained weight loss and wasting of muscles, also known as cancer cachexia.
• Horner’s Syndrome: It is a rare neurological condition that can cause drooping of the eyelid and a small pupil in one eye. It also causes no sweating on the same side of the face.
• Persistent or Frequent Lung Infection: Lung infections like pneumonia can happen and persist due to a weak immune system as the cancer spreads.
• Fatigue and Weakness: Intense fatigue is generally a sign of worsening cancer; it often pairs with weakness and a loss of appetite.
• Wheezing: Due to frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, there can be shortness of breath and coughing that is paired with wheezing.
• Superior Vena Cava Syndrome (SVCS): The Superior Vena Cava refers to a large vein that carries blood from the upper body back to the heart. Its obstruction due to a lung tumour can cause life-threatening complications.

First Signs of Lung Cancer

Most times, there is confusion between the early signs of lung cancer and other lung infections, such as pneumonia. A cough that has persisted for over a month and an infection that cannot be easily treated are usually the early signs of lung cancer.

Causes of Lung Cancer

It is normal for cells to divide, and a cell usually knows the normal frequency and amount of division to occur in its lifetime. These cells change into cancerous cells when they divide uncontrollably or have too many mutations/changes.

The cells can interfere with the normal cells in the lungs if unchecked/unattended by a professional. These cells get into the bloodstream or the lymph nodes to spread to the other body parts.

The reason why these changes in the cell happen to cause cancer has not yet been found. However, researchers often associate the use of smoking tobacco products with the occurrence of lung cancer.

Stage 4 cancer can show various characteristic symptoms at the same time, such as lung infection, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough. Seeking regular medical treatment is very important in this late stage of lung cancer.