According to experts, a simple finger test can help detect lung cancer.
The five-second test, also called the ‘Schamroth window test’ or ‘diamond test’, is a test performed for clubbing of the fingers. This is a clear sign of the disease.
Simply press your thumbnails or index fingernails together and see if there is a diamond-shaped gap between them.
If there is no window, it could be a sign of fluid buildup around the lungs, a telltale sign of lung cancer, the deadliest form of cancer in the U.S.
The ‘Schamroth window test’ or ‘diamond test’ is designed to test for clubbing of the fingers, which can be a sign of lung cancer
Healthy people should have a diamond-shaped gap between their fingernails when they press them back to back. If that gap is gone, it could be a sign that someone has clubbed fingers, which is a symptom of lung cancer.
The trick has been the subject of several viral posts on social media and is often used as an early screening method for the disease.
Clubbing occurs when the soft tissue at the ends of the fingers swells and changes the shape of the nails.
The exact mechanisms of action are unclear, but experts believe it may be due to an overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that stimulates blood vessels to grow.
This leads to increased blood flow to areas such as the fingers, but also to fluid retention throughout the body (called edema) and inflammation.
Clubbing is believed to be more common in non-small lung cancer, the most common form, with 35 percent of patients reporting it.
Only one in twenty patients with small cell tumors suffers from clubbing of fingers.
If you do not see the diamond-shaped window, it does not automatically mean you have cancer.
Clubbing of fingers is also seen in conditions such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and thyroid problems.
Ashley Vassallo (left), who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer at age 30, said she experienced finger clumps as one of her first symptoms. Dr. Daniel Sugai, a dermatologist in Seattle, said on TikTok that he recommends the test to check for clubbing
The test has also gained attention on social media. Dr. Daniel Sugai, a dermatologist in Seattle, said on TikTok that he recommends the test and is ‘particularly’ concerned about lung cancer in patients with clubbing of fingers.
Ashley Vassallo, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer at age 30, said clubbing of her fingers was one of her first signs of the disease. However, she didn’t learn about the diamond test until she was in the hospital.
In a TikTok videoAshley showed a clip of fellow lung cancer patient, Aurora Lucas, discussing the symptoms she experienced when she was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 28.
Aurora said that during her cancer treatment, her doctors repeatedly checked the shape of her fingernails and told her that the cancer could be the cause.
