Use your fingers to know if you have cancer
Lung cancer is also one of the three fastest spreading cancers in the world. This can usually be revealed only by examination by experts. But an oncology consultant has developed a finger test to check lung cancer. He says that after such an investigation, individuals themselves can find out whether they have cancer associated with the trachea.
Emma Norton, Bupa UK’s oncology nurse and consultant, is teaching people how to check for lung cancer through the fingers of the hand. She tells people to join the index fingers of both their hands i.e. cutting fingers together to form the upper shape of the heart. After doing this, if a diamond shaped space is formed between the nails of both hands then you are healthy. If this location is missing then it may be a sign of finger clubbing.
What is finger clubbing?
According to Norton, finger clubbing is a condition that refers to an incorrectly changing position of your fingers and nails. This condition usually starts when your nails are very soft and the skin around them starts to become shiny. This is the initial symptom of this change. In this situation, the nails appear more curvy when viewed from the side. This makes the end of the finger digit much larger and this changed form is known as ‘drumstick fingers’.
In the case of severe case, the extra area of bone appears as part of the finger. It can also be seen on fingers, wrists, knees. It is often considered an early sign of arthritis due to an understanding mistake, while this problem is known as hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy. According to a report by Cancer Research UK, a condition can occur due to the accumulation of liquid in the finger tissues and the condition may be due to blood circulation or chemicals released by the tumor.
According to BMJ Best Practice, low oxygen levels in the blood can act as a trigger in increasing the amount of protein “vascular endothelial growth factor”. This can cause inflammation and cell division at the peripheral level, ie, the area around the nails, and this finger clubbing is often associated with lung cancer.
