Doctor explained the differences in lung cancer symptoms between men and women

Oncologist Andrey Nefedov said that in women, lung cancer may manifest as pain in the back and shoulders. Tumors in women often grow along the outer edges of the lungs, leading to pain in the chest, back, shoulders, and neck. In men, the disease more often appears as coughing, bleeding, and respiratory infections.

The expert noted that these differences are related to the types of tumors: women are more likely to develop lung adenocarcinoma, while men are more prone to squamous cell and small cell carcinoma.

“In squamous cell and small cell cancers, tumors grow near or inside large airways, which causes coughing, bleeding, and infections in men,” Nefedov explained.

With adenocarcinoma, the symptoms are less obvious.
“Tumors usually grow on the outer edges of the lungs, leading to pain in the chest, back, shoulders, and neck,” the doctor added.

He emphasized that lung cancer symptoms are nonspecific and can resemble other diseases — such as pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, asthma, or tuberculosis.
“Moreover, lung cancer often shows no symptoms until the late stages,” the expert concluded.