Is It Normal To Have Shortness Of Breath And Swelling In Legs With A History Of Lung Cancer?

Posted on Tue, 7 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 7 Jan 2014 Answered on

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Severe swelling of both legs up to knees for last 4 days and extremely short of breath even when taking short walk. Is this serious? I did have lung cancer and had part of right lung removed. Am 65 yrs.old

Answered by Dr. Indu Kumar (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: You need immediate medical attention. Detailed Answer: Hello XXXX Thanks for writing to XXXXXXX Yes,your condition need immediate medical examination. You should consult your cardiologist. Probably your cardiovascular status is compromised.This is indicated by both lower limb swelling and exertional dyspnea. You need routine hemogram,chest X-ray (PA view),ECG in all leads,ECHO.Further investigations can be done if needed. You may need diuretics for clearance of extra cellular fluids. Ejection fraction is very important and further treatment depend upon clinical examination and investigation reports. Get well soon. Hope i have answered your query. Further queries are most welcome. Take Care Dr.Indu XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar