Doctors recommend a quick check of your fingernails to help detect lung cancer early. Press your index fingers together, and look for a tiny diamond-shaped gap of light between them.

If this “diamond gap” is missing, it may indicate finger clubbing — a condition where the ends of the fingers swell. Finger clubbing can be an early sign of lung cancer, appearing in about 35% of people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 4% of those with small cell lung cancer.

Though not always cancer-related, it’s worth consulting a doctor if you notice this change in your nails. Remeber — early detection can make a significant difference in treatment outcomes.

And this test has saved lives in the past. Brian Gemmell says recognizing finger clubbing saved his life. With no other symptoms, Brian’s swollen fingers prompted his GP to refer him for a chest X-ray. The diagnosis was early-stage lung cancer, confined to his lung.

Thanks to prompt surgical treatment, he avoided further complications and has since emphasized the importance of seeking medical advice early.

Source: Hashem Al-Ghaili