A simple finger test could help detect lung cancer, experts say.
Dubbed the ‘Schamroth window test’ or ‘diamond test,’ the five-second trick lokos for clubbed fingernails, which is a telltale 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’s no window, it could be a sign of fluid buildup around the lungs, a telltale sign of lung cancer, the deadliest cancer in the US.
‘Schamroth window test’ or ‘diamond test’ is designed to test for finger clubbing, which could 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 someone has clubbed fingers, which is a symptom of lung cancer
The trick has been the subject of several viral social media posts and is often used as an early screening tool for the disease.
Finger clubbing happens when soft tissue at the ends of the fingers swell and make the nails change shape.
The exact mechanisms are unclear, though experts believe that it could be due to an overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that tells blood vessels to grow.
This leads to increased blood flow to areas like the fingers, as well as fluid buildup throughout the body called edema and inflammation.
It’s believed that finger clubbing is more common with non-small lung cancer – the most common form – as 35 percent of patients report it.
Meanwhile, just one in 20 small-cell patients have clubbing.
However, if you don’t see that diamond window, it doesn’t automatically mean you have cancer.
Finger clubbing has also been seen in conditions like celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and thyroid issues.
Ashley Vassallo (left), who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in her 30s, said she experienced finger clubbing 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 gained attention on social media as well. Dr Daniel Sugai, a dermatologist in Seattle, said on TikTok that he recommends the test and ‘especially’ worries about lung cancer in patients with finger clubbing.
Ashley Vassallo, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in her 30s, said that finger clubbing was one of her first signs of the disease, though she didn’t learn about the diamond test until she was hospitalized.
In a TikTok video, Ashley showed a clip of fellow lung cancer survivor Aurora Lucas discussing the symptoms she had when she was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 28.
Aurora said that while she was being treated for cancer, her doctors would repeatedly check the shape of her fingernails, telling her the cancer could have caused it.
