The chest isn’t the one spot which may really feel heavy or tight, Dr. Chiang says. “If it goes to the bone, possibly in considered one of your vertebrae, you possibly can weaken that bone and typically you could be extra prone to a fracture,” she notes.

As for the way lung most cancers ache would possibly differ from, say, anxiety-related chest stress, once more, it may be onerous to distinguish, each consultants agreed. The primary factor to search for? It’s new—and never letting up.

3. You’re surprisingly wanting breath.

Vassallo was tremendous lively earlier than her lung most cancers signs settled in. So when she began having points along with her respiration, it was significantly noticeable. “I’d go to martial arts courses and raise weights, nonetheless in ache and tiring out actually shortly,” she explains. “I used to be coaching for a half-marathon on the time, however I finally needed to cease—I couldn’t go longer than a couple of minutes with out desirous to move out.”

In Vassallo’s case, her tumor was placing stress on her lungs, inflicting her respiratory system to grow to be infected and agitated. However folks can have a tough time inhaling as a result of the most cancers is inflicting fluid to construct up within the lungs, Dr. Chiang says. “You would possibly even have some shortness of breath altering positions as a result of, should you’re bending over, that fluid form of ‘goes with gravity’ both to the entrance or the again.”

Vassallo was a typically athletic particular person, so her lung capability adjustments had been stark. However what should you’re not logging miles each day? “Usually what I hear from my sufferers is that issues have modified over time, and also you’re in a distinct place than you had been earlier than,” Dr. Chiang notes. “It may be one thing like, ‘Oh gee, I used to have the ability to fold all my laundry in a single go, and now I’ve to take a number of breaks whereas I am doing that as a result of I get actually drained and wanting breath.’”

4. You’re dropping weight with out making an attempt.

One doc thought acid reflux disease was responsible for Vassallo’s woes, so she was placed on a GERD eating regimen (a.ok.a. issues that discourage heartburn, like complete grains, greens, watery meals like watermelon, and meals with a better pH, like bananas and melons). When Vassallo went on to shed extra pounds over the course of some months, she figured her new consuming habits had been the trigger.

Based on Dr. Chiang, weight reduction is commonly related to all sorts of most cancers, not simply lung. “That’s as a result of most cancers cells use numerous sugar, and typically folks lose their urge for food,” she notes. (Most cancers cells develop extra quickly than regular cells, Dr. Chiang explains, and suck up numerous vitality.) “So although they’re not making an attempt to shed extra pounds, they might simply have a lack of urge for food and never be all in favour of meals.”

So what’s a purple flag? If you happen to’ve dropped 10 kilos, or roughly 5% of your physique weight, over a number of months with out making an attempt, carry it as much as a doc ASAP.

5. You’ve developed blood clots.

Roughly 10% of individuals with any type of most cancers develop blood clots as a result of they have a tendency to have “sticky” blood or a tumor that may compress blood vessels. When you have a clot, you would possibly really feel throbbing, cramping, swelling, or redness within the legs or arms, or sudden breathlessness or chest ache. Clots could be significantly prevalent in lung most cancers, Dr. Puri says. “I recall considered one of my sufferers who was extraordinarily lively. He used to bike, had his personal firm, and simply had a blood clot out of nowhere. Blood clots do not occur in wholesome younger folks with out threat components.”