A simple "finger trick" could reveal an early sign of lung cancer. According to Cancer Research UK,35 per cent of lung cancer patients have this unusual symptom of the disease. All you have to do is press your nails together. The gap between your nails may look like a diamond, but look closely. Emma Norton, an oncology nurse advisor at Bupa UK, warns if you don't spot the gap, it could be a sign of “finger clubbing”.
"Most people with lung cancer don’t know their fingers are clubbing unless they know specifically to look out for it”, Norton told a news portal. Adding, "The test is used by medical professionals as a partial method of confirming conditions, but you can also do the test yourself, and it only takes a few seconds"
Norton further explained: "If you can’t see any kind of gap beneath your nail beds, this means your fingers are clubbed."
It is important to consult with your doctor to better understand your risk of lung cancer. A change to the shape of the nails and fingers is described as "clubbing". Researchers have yet to understand the link between finger clubbing and lung cancer. Some speculate it may be due to the collection of fluid in the soft tissues.
Cancer Research UK reports the chemicals or hormones released by tumours may be causing a rush of blood flow. According to BMJ Best Practice, low oxygen levels in the blood could cause a release of the protein "vascular endothelial growth factor".
Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death across the globe.A study published in the journal Nature Communications may have found a new way to treat the disease with inhaled nanoparticles.
"The goal of our research was to develop a novel means to convert cold tumours to hot, immune-responsive tumours," Dawen Zhao, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering at Wake Forest School of Medicine, told a news portal. Adding, "We wanted it to be non-invasive without needle injection, able to access multiple lung tumours at a time, and be safe for repeated use. We were hoping that this new approach would boost the body's immune system to more effectively fight lung cancer."
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