Confirm lung cancer in 5 seconds... Do you know the 'finger test'?

 

Lung diseases such as pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer cause symptoms like cough and shortness of breath due to decreased lung function. However, lung function declines gradually, making it difficult to recognize on one's own.

 

However, you can determine whether you have a lung disease or not through the 'Finger Clubbing' test.

'Finger Clubbing' or 'Schamroth's window test' involves checking whether a diamond-shaped gap appears between the fingernails when the index or thumb nails of both hands are pressed together as if pushing each other.

 

If there are no gaps, it is highly likely that you are experiencing a lung disease. According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 35% of lung cancer patients exhibit the characteristic finger clubbing phenomenon.

 

The finger clubbing phenomenon is when the fingertips become blunt and club-shaped. On the other hand, healthy individuals will form a diamond-shaped gap between their nails when pressing their nails together.

 

 

What is the reason for the occurrence of finger clubbing?

 

When exposed to chronic hypoxia due to lung disease, the body's oxygen levels become deficient. At this time, the 'capillaries' expand to deliver oxygen throughout the body. As a result, the capillaries and distal tissues proliferate excessively, leading to the clubbing of the fingers.

 

The UK Cancer Research Institute also hypothesizes that lung cancer itself produces hormones that cause fluid to accumulate in the fingers. Therefore, it is advisable to check for the appearance of clubbing fingers and, if there are no gaps between the nails and lung disease is suspected, visit a hospital for an accurate diagnosis.

However, the absence of finger clubbing does not guarantee that there is no lung disease.

 

This is because even with lung disease, a finger clubbing may not develop. Lung disease can be accompanied by symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, weight loss, hoarseness, and hemoptysis, in addition to the lung condition itself. Most importantly, regular health check-ups are essential. It is known that 5 to 15% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed with lung cancer when they are asymptomatic.