Does It Really Mean You Have Lung Cancer?
Even if your fingers are clubbed, it doesn’t automatically mean you have lung cancer. Finger clubbing has also been associated with [3][4]:
- Congenital heart disease. Present at birth, this condition causes an issue with the actual structure of the heart, which can affect blood flow [5].
- Infective endocarditis. A rare, life-threatening infection of the endocardial surface of the heart [6].
- Other lung issues. Such as a lung abscess, which is caused by an infection (sometimes even gum disease!) [7], and bronchiectasis, in which the airways are scarred or damaged, which can occur from lung infections, autoimmune disorders, or allergic reactions [8].
- Inflammatory bowel disease. IBD encompasses both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which involve chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract [9].
Finger clubbing has even been known to be an early sign of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in patients who have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [10].
Read More: 10 Warning Signs of Lung Cancer
