Final answer:
A nurse assessing a client with lung cancer should expect to see blood-tinged sputum, which is indicative of the disease due to damage caused by tumor growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse assessing a client who has lung cancer should expect to observe a variety of clinical manifestations. Among these, blood-tinged sputum is a common symptom which could indicate the presence of lung cancer, as the disease can cause coughing up blood. This symptom is also known as hemoptysis, and it arises due to the damage to lung tissue and blood vessels caused by the tumor. While other symptoms listed, such as decreased tactile fremitus, resonance with percussion, and peripheral edema, can be related to lung conditions, they are not as specifically indicative of lung cancer as blood-tinged sputum. Peripheral edema, for instance, is often associated with heart or kidney failure and may indicate pulmonary edema, whereas blood-tinged sputum is more directly related to lung cancer pathology and the destruction it causes within lung tissue.