The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Trust reported that doctors have prescribed a simple test that could help detect lung cancer in its early stages, potentially saving lives.
According to them, this test involves placing the fingernails of the right and left hands together and pressing them. Normally, a gap forms between them; the absence of this gap may indicate increased thickness of the distal phalanges of the fingers. This symptom is observed in 35 percent of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and in 4 percent of patients with small cell lung cancer.
Of course, a positive result on this test is not a definitive indication of malignant tumors, but experts advise consulting a doctor if the shape of the fingers changes.
In addition to this deformity, called clubbing of the fingers or Hippocratic fingers, lung cancer is also characterized by a persistent cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, weight loss, and pain when breathing and coughing.
