Recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer is ultimately a "non-small" cell lung cancer that has returned some time after treatment. This type of lung cancer behaves, according to the Mayo Clinic, like all other "non-small" cell lung cancers but consists of a different type of cancer cell and affects a different type of cell within the body. Typically, it is a carcinoma that originates within the thin, flat cells of the lining and passages of the lungs. If someone experiences a recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer, he usually suffers from certain signs and symptoms that have become "hallmarks" of the disease.
Persistent Cough
One of the more common signs and symptoms of recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer is either the return or the development of a persistent cough. For some people, they will begin to suffer a return of a chronic cough experienced during the initial diagnosis of lung cancer. For others, it is a development of a cough that may be "new" yet still chronic in nature. Many people refer to it as a "smoker's cough," since most forms of lung cancer are due to smoking, though you wouldn't necessarily need to be a smoker to suffer from this. This cough may also bring with it mucus as well as blood.
Respiratory Disturbance
Another common sign is a disturbance or disruption in respiration. Most of the time, a person with recurrent lung cancer will experience trouble or difficulty in breathing, as if she isn't getting enough oxygen. Other times, a person will suffer from shortness of breath that is accompanied by periods of wheezing or rasping.
Pain
It is also possible to experience some pain and discomfort within the chest. This discomfort may be a tightness or heaviness throughout the whole of the chest. It may be a dull ache emanating from the lungs. It can also be a more intense, shooting pain. The way in which pain manifests is really dependent on the person suffering from the pain as well as the severity of the cancer itself.
Hoarseness
Someone suffering from recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer may also begin to suffer a certain amount of hoarseness within his voice. This may partly be due to the presence of a chronic cough or the development and progression of the cancerous cells. Much like pain, it really depends on the person how the cancer will affect him.
Common Cancer Symptoms
Along with the more "lung cancer specific" signs and symptoms, there is also the potential with recurrence in squamous cell lung cancer for a person to suffer from common cancer symptoms. These include loss of appetite, loss of weight, fatigue, weakness and exhaustion.
Tags: lung cancer, cell lung, recurrence squamous, squamous cell, squamous cell lung, cell lung cancer, cell lung cancer