How Does Lung Cancer Kill You?
Lung cancer can kill you if the tumors spread through the body and shut down vital organs, such as the lungs, heart, or brain. You could also pass away from complications related to widespread cancer. Doctors can recommend treatments to help you experience fewer symptoms and possibly live longer.
How Do People Die From Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The number of projected lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S. is over 120,000.
Generally speaking, lung cancer can be fatal when tumors prevent key organs in the body from functioning. While doctors can recommend therapies to ease painful symptoms in these cases, it is not safe to recommend major treatments that could improve survival.
Quick Facts: How Does Lung Cancer Kill You?
- The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 28%, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). This means most patients pass away within the first 5 years after a diagnosis.
- Common symptoms of lung cancer near death include severe pain, difficulty breathing, and coughing up blood.
- Lung cancer makes up about 87% of asbestos-related deaths every year, as shown in data from the International Commission of Occupational Health. Breathing in or swallowing asbestos fibers could cause lung cancer.
- Nearly 50% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at stage 4, meaning cancer has spread and is very hard to treat.
That said, lung cancer is not necessarily a death sentence. Working with experienced doctors can help you access treatments needed to live as long as possible. In some cases, patients who were expected to live only a short time became long-term survivors.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now for help exploring treatments that can ease late-stage lung cancer symptoms and possibly improve your survival time.
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4 Ways Lung Cancer Kills Patients
Lung cancer patients pass away due to a variety of reasons, such as uncontrolled tumor growth or complications like infections that stem from having cancer. Learn about common ways lung cancer kills patients below.
1. Lung Cancer Tumor Growth & Metastasis
As lung cancer spreads, it can reach other parts of the body like vital organs and nearby lymph nodes. This process, called metastasis, makes the disease much harder to treat.
Terminal lung cancer may metastasize to the:
- Adrenal glands
- Bones
- Brain
- Liver
- Lymph nodes
- Other organs
Tumors may block airways, press on blood vessels, or impair organ function, all of which can lead to life-threatening complications or rapid decline.
2. Infection
Lung cancer weakens the immune system, raising the risk of serious infections. Bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and other potentially life-threatening conditions are common in advanced stages of lung cancer.
As a result, lung cancer patients may die from complications related to these conditions rather than from the cancer itself.
3.Bleeding in the Lungs
Around 1 in 5 patients with lung cancer cough up blood due to bleeding within the lungs. While some cases are mild, severe bleeding can be fatal.
Tumors may damage blood vessels in the lungs, making bleeding harder to control. Without emergency care, patients could pass away due to respiratory failure.
4. Blood Clots in the Lungs
Lung cancer patients face a higher risk of blood clots (thrombosis) than those with other cancers. These clots can block blood flow to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.
In some cases, specific treatments like immunotherapy can actually increase the risk of these blood clots, according to a 2024 Cancers report.
Signs of Dying From Lung Cancer
Patients facing a terminal lung cancer diagnosis may experience severe warning signs. Initial lung cancer symptoms such as difficulty breathing and a cough worsen. Additional symptoms appear depending on where the cancer spread to.
Signs that someone may be dying from lung cancer include:
- A nagging cough and coughing up blood
- Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
- Headaches and confusion if cancer has reached the brain
- Hoarseness
- Pleural effusions (fluid buildup in the lung lining)
- Severe chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Shoulder pain
- Swelling in the face, neck, or upper chest
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness and numbness in limbs if tumors spread to bones
- Weight and appetite loss if cancer has invaded the liver
- Wheezing
The symptoms of terminal or late-stage lung cancer can look different for each patient. See a doctor promptly for a lung cancer screening if you are experiencing any possible symptoms.
Diagnosing Lung Cancer Near Death
Doctors can use different tests, like imaging scans, blood samples, and a biopsy, to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis and determine if the disease has reached a terminal stage.
“I had absolutely no symptoms in terms of difficulty breathing or a cough or anything like that. I found out that I had lung cancer because I had trouble setting the time on a clock. I had an MRI and that revealed I had two tumors on my brain. Later that day, I had a CT scan that showed that the primary source of those tumors came from my lungs.”
— Natasha, metastatic lung cancer patient
While lung cancer is easier to treat if caught early on, most cases are diagnosed in the later stages. This is because lung cancer may not cause significant symptoms until tumors have spread.
If you are facing potentially terminal lung cancer, doctors can assess your overall health using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status scale. A higher ECOG performance score indicates that you require a higher level of care.
What Are the Last Stages of Lung Cancer Before Death?
Doctors determine cancer stage when making a diagnosis, and stages 3 and 4 are considered the final stages of lung cancer before death. In particular, stage 4 lung cancer indicates that metastasis has occurred.
Because of the spread to multiple parts of the body, metastatic lung cancer usually means a patient is near death and that it’s no longer possible for them to receive major life-extending therapies.
With that said, some patients have defied the odds and lived longer than expected thanks to treatments.
Call (877) 446-5767 now to explore your medical and financial options if you’re facing a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.
How Fast Can Lung Cancer Kill You?
Lung cancer has a generally poor prognosis (health outlook), and in advanced cases, it can kill you in a year or less.
End-stage lung cancer patients typically only live 4-13 months, even if they receive medical treatments.
However, each lung cancer patient’s journey is unique, and some may be able to live longer than expected. A doctor can give you a more accurate life expectancy depending on the circumstances in your case.
Treating Lung Cancer Patients Near Death
Doctors recommend different lung cancer treatments for patients depending on factors like their stage, ECOG performance status, overall health, and more.
For lung cancer patients who are near death, life-extending therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are usually not recommended.
The main treatment is typically palliative (pain-relieving) care, which focuses on easing symptoms and providing patients with the highest quality of life in the time that they have left.
Palliative lung cancer treatments for patients include:
- Minor surgeries (thoracentesis and paracentesis) to drain pleural effusions
- Nutritional supplements
- Oxygen treatments to help improve breathing
- Pain-relieving medications like morphine
- Therapy to ease anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns
Lung cancer patients can receive palliative care at a hospital, in a hospice setting, or at home — whichever is most comfortable for them.
“People tend to be worried about pain and difficulty breathing. Those symptoms are usually taken care of through the hospice system. Patients tend not to feel the agonizing symptoms that they otherwise would from cancer.”
— Dr. Kenneth Fink, lung cancer doctor
Get Support & Resources for Terminal Lung Cancer
Even when facing a terminal lung cancer diagnosis, it’s important not to give up hope. Your health care team can recommend options to help you or someone you love live with as little pain for as long as possible.
At Lung Cancer Group, we understand how difficult it can be to face cancer at any stage, particularly if someone is at the end of life.
Our team may be able to help you or a loved one:
- Access pain-relieving cancer care
- Afford any medical expenses you face
- Find resources to navigate this difficult time
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now or call (877) 446-5767 now to explore all the ways we can assist you.
Death From Lung Cancer FAQs
Is lung cancer a painful death?
While facing terminal lung cancer can cause uncomfortable symptoms, doctors can recommend a wide range of palliative (pain-relieving) treatments.
Palliative care is often the main type of treatment used for end-stage lung cancer and can make dying as painless as possible.
How does lung cancer kill you in the end?
Lung cancer can cause death in different ways. For example, tumors may prevent major organs like the lungs or brain from working. Patients may also develop fatal complications like serious infections.
Facing a potentially fatal lung cancer diagnosis can be incredibly scary. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, speak to your doctors about treatments that can relieve pain and potentially help you live longer. You can also get mental health counseling to manage anxiety, depression, and grief.
Contact our team now for help exploring and accessing key resources if you’re facing a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.
How long does lung cancer take to kill you?
How long you may live with lung cancer depends on a wide range of factors. These include the stage and type of lung cancer you have, your overall health, which treatment options you receive, and more.
The overall 5-year lung cancer survival rate is 28%, meaning most patients pass away within 5 years of their diagnosis.
However, some patients have lived for over 30 years, becoming lung cancer survivors thanks to treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Clinical trials testing new therapies have also helped patients who didn’t respond to standard treatment live longer.
How many nonsmokers die from lung cancer?
Almost 1 in 5 nonsmokers die from lung cancer annually, according to the hospital City of Hope.
While smoking is by far the most common cause of lung cancer, radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, and asbestos are also responsible for many deaths.
For example, more than 27% of lung cancer deaths are caused by exposure to asbestos, a toxic, fiber-like substance.
What are signs that lung cancer is killing you?
Worsening or severe symptoms such as coughing up blood, numbness or tingling in the limbs, and fatigue could all be potential signs that you have end-stage lung cancer.
Make sure to see a lung cancer doctor promptly and discuss your concerns, particularly if you smoke, used to smoke but quit, or were ever exposed to other possible causes like asbestos.
Your health care provider can order tests to determine if your symptoms are related to lung cancer.
Why is lung cancer not curable?
There’s no universal cure for any type of cancer — including lung cancer — at this time.
While early-stage lung cancer may sometimes be considered “curative” by doctors, most cases are diagnosed after lung tumors have spread to other parts of the body. At this point, a lung cancer cure is no longer possible.
In cases of significant tumor spread, lung cancer may be terminal. Doctors focus treatment plans on easing severe symptoms of lung cancer near death, such as pain, difficulty breathing, and more.
Call (877) 446-5767 for help accessing treatments if you’re facing aggressive or end-stage lung cancer.
Is sudden death from lung cancer possible?
Yes, it’s possible to suddenly die from lung cancer. In some cases, patients may develop lung cancer complications that lead to other causes of death, like an aggressive infection.
The symptoms of lung cancer are often mild and vague even as the cancer spreads, so in some cases, patients pass away from other conditions before they’re formally diagnosed.
