Info
Persistent cough
Diagnosis
What it means
A cough lasting more than 3-4 weeks without a clear cause (respiratory infection, allergy). It can be a warning sign for lung cancer, especially in smokers, and warrants a chest X-ray or CT scan.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- Lung cancer
- The most common cancer in men and the leading cause of cancer death in Romania. There are two main forms: small cell (SCLC) and non-small cell (NSCLC). Smoking is the main risk factor.
- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)
- A tumor marker useful especially for liver cancer and certain testicular or ovarian tumors. It is measured in the blood for diagnosis, monitoring treatment and detecting a recurrence.
- ALK-positive
- A gene rearrangement found in a subset of lung cancers, more common in non-smoking or younger patients. ALK-positive tumors often respond very well to specific targeted therapies, different from standard chemotherapy.
Other terms in “Diagnosis”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.