The story of British man Brian Gemmell was reported by the Daily Mirror. His lung cancer did not show typical symptoms for a long time—the only early sign of the disease was a change in the shape of his fingers.

Long before the diagnosis, his fingers developed a “drumstick” appearance, with thickened fingertips and altered nail shape. This condition, known medically as finger clubbing, has long been associated with a range of chronic lung diseases, including cancer.

Gemmell explained a simple way to notice the change: place two fingers together so they touch along their entire length, with the nails facing each other. Normally, a small diamond-shaped gap appears between the nails. If this gap is absent, it may indicate abnormal changes in the soft tissues.

Doctors emphasize that while this symptom is well known, it is not specific to lung cancer. There are more common signs of the disease, such as a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, shortness of breath, wheezing, frequent respiratory infections, chest or shoulder pain, and coughing up blood.

Other, less common symptoms include chronic fatigue, a hoarse voice, and swelling of the face or neck.