Simple at home finger test could show early warning signs of lung cancer

Simple at home finger test could show early warning signs of lung cancerA simple finger clubbing test can help spot potential early signs of lung cancer at home - health experts urge people to see their GP if they notice any concerning symptomsCommentsNewsJane Lavender Associate Editor07:00, 20 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesThe simple test can be done at home(Image: Witthaya Prasongsin via Getty Images)A straightforward finger test carried out at home could provide an early warning sign of lung cancer.‌Lung cancer can spread more rapidly than other forms of the disease, with nearly 40,000 people receiving a diagnosis every year.‌In many cases, lung cancer symptoms fail to appear until after the cells have already spread throughout the body.‌Nevertheless, potential patients are able to identify a handful of early warning signs of the illness.Some of the most common symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing and a persistent cough accompanied by blood or phlegm.While the majority of symptoms tend to be respiratory in nature, there is one early telltale sign of lung cancer that manifests on your fingertips - here's what you need to know.‌What is the early sign of lung cancer on the fingertips?View 2 ImagesThere are some little-known symptoms of lung cancer(Image: Vithun Khamsong via Getty Images)When you press your fingernails together, can you spot a tiny diamond-shaped gap of light?If that gap is nowhere to be seen, you could be experiencing finger clubbing, whereby the ends of your fingers become swollen - and this could be an indicator of lung cancer.‌The condition develops in stages, beginning at the base of the nail, which turns soft. The skin alongside the nail bed then becomes shiny, after which the nails start to curve more than usual when viewed from the side.Finally, the fingers may enlarge and swell as fluid gathers in the soft tissues. While the absence of this diamond-shaped gap between fingernails doesn't automatically rule out lung cancer, there re...