A simple finger test could help detect lung cancer, experts say.
Known as the “Schamroth window test” or “diamond test,” this five-second trick looks for curled nails, a telltale sign of the disease.
Simply press your thumb or index nails 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 cancer in the U.S.
The ‘Schamroth window test’ or ‘diamond test’ is designed to detect clubbing of the fingers, which could be a sign of lung cancer.
Healthy people should have a diamond-shaped gap between their nails when they press them together. If that gap disappears, it could be a sign that someone has clubbing of the 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 detection tool for the disease.
Clubbing of the fingers occurs when the soft tissue at the ends of the fingers swells and causes the nails to change shape.
The exact mechanisms are unclear, although experts believe it could be due to an overproduction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that tells blood vessels to grow.
This causes increased blood flow to areas such as the fingers, as well as a buildup of fluid throughout the body called edema and swelling.
Clubbing is thought to be more common in non-small cell lung cancers (the most common form), with 35 percent of patients reporting it.
Meanwhile, only one in 20 small cell patients has clubbing.
However, if you don’t see that diamond window, it doesn’t automatically mean you have cancer.
Clubbing has also been observed in conditions such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and thyroid problems.
Ashley Vassallo (left), who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer when she was 30, said she experienced clubbing as one of her first symptoms. Dr. Daniel Sugai, a Seattle dermatologist, said on TikTok that he recommends the test to detect clubbing.
The test has also gained attention on social media. Dr. Daniel Sugai, a Seattle dermatologist, he said on TikTok who recommends the test and is “particularly” concerned about lung cancer in patients with clubbing.
Ashley Vassallo, who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer when she was 30, said clubbing was one of the first signs of the disease, although she didn’t learn about the diamond test until she was hospitalized.
in a TikTok videoAshley showed a clip of fellow lung cancer survivor Aurora Lucas talking about the symptoms she had when she was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 28.
Aurora said that while she was undergoing cancer treatment, her doctors repeatedly checked the shape of her nails and told her that cancer could have caused it.