A quick 5-second test by analysing the patterns made by your fingers may help you discover early signs of lung cancer. Also known as 'diamond' finger test, this is perhaps the fastest way to determine the possibility of lung cancer. It is also known as the Schamroth window test or window gap test and can be easily performed at home.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer death. Often diagnosed at later stages, the leading causes of the disease include smoking; pollution, exposure to asbestos and radon, occupational substances, HIV and family history are among other key causes.
Lung cancer signs and symptoms
Lung cancer symptoms include a cough that doesn't resolve in 3 weeks, chest infections, coughing up blood, pain while coughing and breathing, breathlessness, lack of energy, and loss of appetite.
Lung cancer can be diagnosed with chest X-ray, CT scan, PET-CT scan, and biopsy among other screening methods.
Diagnosing lung cancer early can effectively cut mortality rates and aid full recovery. This 5-second finger test is one of the ways to detect early stages of lung cancer. Swelling on face and neck, wheezing, hoarse voice, and difficulty swallowing are lesser-known signs of the deadly disease.
How to perform this 5-second finger test
Bring your thumbnails or index finger together and press them. A diamond-shaped window should form between them. If that's not happening and there is no space forming between your thumbnails or fingers, it may indicate finger clubbing, a condition experienced by over 35% of individuals with non-small cell lung cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
Clubbing is the potential indicator of lung cancer and is indicative of issues in lungs, heart or digestive tract. If you see a tiny diamond shape between your nails, this means your risk of clubbing is low.
Why does the appearance of your fingers change when you have lung cancer?
Clubbed fingers indicate trouble with your heart or lungs that cause chronically low blood levels of oxygen. Your fingers could appear swollen due to the accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues at the terminal portion of the finger due to increased blood flow to the finger area.
While the exact reason is not known, increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may have to play a role in this. VEGF is a signaling protein that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels. It also increases capillary permeability.
(Pictures courtesy: iStock, By Rollcloud - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113439166)
