Lung Cancer Symptoms

Common lung cancer symptoms include a cough, difficulty breathing, and loss of appetite. Some patients may have these symptoms early on, while others might not develop symptoms until the cancer has spread through their bodies. If you or a loved one has possible lung cancer symptoms, see a doctor immediately.

Free Case Review

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer?

As lung cancer spreads and overruns the body, people can experience a number of different symptoms.

Symptoms and signs of lung cancer include:
  • Coughing: People with lung cancer often have coughs that simply don’t go away. Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm) is common.
  • Difficulty breathing: People with lung cancer often find themselves out of breath after doing simple tasks, such as walking up the stairs.
  • Finger clubbing: The tips of lung cancer patients’ fingers may become boxy or sqaureish in a process known as finger clubbing.
  • Infections: People with lung cancer may develop infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis that won’t go away or keep on returning.
  • Pain in the bones: Lung cancer patients may experience bone pain once the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
  • Weight loss and loss of appetite: Lung cancer can change your appetite, causing you to feel less hungry and in turn lose weight.

If you or a loved one has any of the lung cancer symptoms listed above, make sure to get medical attention from a specialist. Health care providers can see if these symptoms are stemming from lung cancer or not and recommend treatments.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now if your loved one has symptoms of this disease. You can learn how to manage symptoms and get the treatments needed to live longer.

Get Our Free Lung Cancer Guide
  • Understand risk factors
  • Find top treatments
  • Pursue compensation
Get the Guide

What Causes Lung Cancer Symptoms?

The main reason people develop lung cancer symptoms is that the cancer has spread through their body, imparing its normal functions.

For example, the Mayo Clinic notes that patients can suffer from difficulty breathing if lung cancer tumors spread into the body’s main airways. Patients might also start to cough up blood as lung cancer tumors can cause internal bleeding.

Did You Know?

When there’s severe metastasis (spread), lung cancer tumors can reach areas like the bones (causing pain) or brain (leading to headaches, nausea, and other symptoms).

Doctors can help explain how lung cancer is causing your symptoms and recommend a treatment plan after you’re formally diagnosed.

Symptoms by Lung Cancer Type

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, both of these types have similar symptoms, according to the Moffitt Cancer Center and Yale Medicine.

Common symptoms of both NSCLC and SCLC include:

  • Blood in sputum
  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Cough that won’t go away/gets worse over time
  • Fatigue
  • Hoarseness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Pain in bones, shoulder, other areas
  • Shortness of breath
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Swelling in the face and neck veins
  • Unexplained weight loss

Besides these two main lung cancer types, there are also a couple of rare subtypes of lung cancer that can cause more unique symptoms.

illustration of the lungs with a tumor in the right lungPancoast lung cancer tumors grow in the upper part of the lung. They are very rare and usually consist of NSCLC cells. They can cause a group of symptoms called Horner syndrome, which includes minimal sweating on one side of the face and a drooping eyelid.

Lung carcinoid tumors are another rare type of lung cancer. They tend to grow slower than other types of lung cancer. Unique symptoms of lung carcinoid tumors include diarrhea, weight gain, and purple or pink marks on the skin that resemble stretch marks.

Learn about the symptoms of different types of lung cancer, and the treatments that can help you or a loved one, in our Free Lung Cancer Guide.

Get Our Free Lung Cancer Guide
  • Understand risk factors
  • Find top treatments
  • Pursue compensation
Get the Guide

Lung Cancer Symptoms by Stage

Doctors classify cases of lung cancer into several stages depending on how far the tumors have spread. Most patients won’t have noticeable symptoms until they are in the advanced stages of lung cancer. However, some people experience symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer.

There are different stages depending on which type of lung cancer a patient has. Learn about the symptoms that can appear at each lung cancer stage below.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Symptoms and Stages

SCLC can be described in two stages: limited and extensive.

  • Limited-stage SCLC

    Limited-stage SCLC

    Limited-stage SCLC only develops in one lung and does not spread to the mediastinum (area between the lungs) and the lymph nodes. Because of this, patients usually do not have lung cancer symptoms at this stage.

  • Extensive-stage SCLC

    Extensive-stage SCLC

    Extensive-stage SCLC has spread to tissue outside of the lung that was originally affected, such as the opposite lung and other organs. In this stage, patients can exhibit symptoms like a cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and more.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Symptoms and Stages

Cases of NSCLC can be classified into one of five stages (stage 0 to stage 4). Typically, the symptoms are more severe in the later stages.

*Located in lining of the lungs

Stage 0 Lung Cancer Symptoms

At this stage, the cancer is only in the top lining of the bronchus or lung. It has not spread. Because of this, it’s likely that patients will have little to no lung cancer symptoms at this stage.

*Located in lining of the lungs

Stage 1 Lung Cancer Symptoms

In stage 1, the cancer has not yet spread to the lymph nodes and other organs. Like in stage 0, most patients in this stage won’t have symptoms of lung cancer.

When patients do have symptoms, they include a new and persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and lung infections, according to City of Hope.

*Located in lining of the lungs

Stage 2 Lung Cancer Symptoms

Stage 2 tumors may be slightly larger than those in stage 1 and have begun to spread to nearby lymph nodes. However, the cancer has not yet spread to other organs.

The lung cancer symptoms at this stage include many of those found in stage 1 (cough, pain in the chest, and difficulty breathing). Patients with this stage often don’t have symptoms, though.

*Located in lining of the lungs

Stage 3 Lung Cancer Symptoms

By this stage, the cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes of the mediastinum. It may also be found in other body parts beyond the lungs. For these reasons, it’s likely that patients will start having lung cancer symptoms in this stage if they haven’t already.

Stage 3 lung cancer symptoms can include weight loss, fatigue, dizziness and seizures, bone pain, and numbness in the arms or legs, in addition to the symptoms from the earlier stages. Which symptoms a patient will experience depends on where the cancer has spread to.

*Located in lining of the lungs

Stage 4 Lung Cancer Symptoms

This is the most advanced stage of NSCLC. By this point, the cancer has already metastasized (spread) to the lung lining and throughout the body.

Patients may suffer severe symptoms like limb numbness, headaches, jaundice, pain in the bones, swollen lymph nodes, severe chest pain, coughing, and difficulty breathing. As in stage 3, the cancer can spread to several different parts in the body, causing specific symptoms based on where it ends up.

How Are Lung Cancer Symptoms Diagnosed?

If you have possible lung cancer symptoms, see a doctor and report your concerns to get a diagnosis.

When you meet with your doctor, be sure to tell them:

  1. Which lung cancer symptoms you have
  2. When these symptoms developed
  3. If the symptoms have been getting worse

You can also tell your doctor if you were ever smoked or were exposed to asbestos, radon, secondhand smoke, or other toxins. Any and all of these can cause lung cancer. Doctors can use this information to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

“If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.”

— American Cancer Society

Medical professionals typically use a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan or a chest X-ray to conduct a lung cancer screening.

If doctors find tumors that could be causing your symptoms on these scans, they’ll then take a biopsy (sample) of them. A biopsy will allow the doctors to confirm your lung cancer diagnosis.

Treatment for Lung Cancer Symptoms

Doctors typically treat lung cancer and its associated symptoms in two main ways.

The first way is to use life-extending lung cancer treatments. The main goal here is to help the lung cancer patient live longer and with fewer symptoms.

Common life-extending treatments for lung cancer include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, all of which can help shrink or remove cancer tumors. In doing so, the patient should see their lung cancer symptoms lessen or disappear. Major life-extending treatments are typically used for patients with early-stage lung cancer.

Image of a radiation machine in a labThe other main option is to use palliative lung cancer treatments. Palliative treatments are specifically designed to ease lung cancer symptoms. They are typically used to help patients with late-stage lung cancer who cannot receive life-extending therapies.

Common palliative treatment options for lung cancer symptoms include pain-relieving medications, supplemental oxygen and/or nutrition, and emotional counseling, according to the American Lung Association.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now to find treatments that can ease symptoms and improve your survival time.

Get Our Free Lung Cancer Guide
  • Understand risk factors
  • Find top treatments
  • Pursue compensation
Get the Guide

Get Help for Lung Cancer Symptoms

If you’re suffering from possible lung cancer symptoms, get professional cancer care as soon as possible. By connecting with top doctors, you can access treatments to ease symptoms of lung cancer and possibly become a survivor.

We at Lung Cancer Group may be able to help you access key resources, including financial aid, to support you on your cancer journey. Learn more by calling (877) 446-5767 or requesting our Free Lung Cancer Guide right now.

FAQs About Lung Cancer Symptoms

What are the first symptoms of lung cancer?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the first symptoms of lung cancer are infections or a cough that keep happening despite treatment.

If you’re suffering from these symptoms and smoke, used to smoke, or were exposed to cancer-causing substances like asbestos, see a doctor.

The symptoms of lung cancer caused by asbestos are the same as any other type of lung cancer. Patients may suffer from a cough that doesn’t go away, shortness of breath, chest pain, and appetite loss.

However, those with asbestos lung cancer may qualify for additional financial aid that’s not available to other patients. Learn more by calling (877) 446-5767 now.

Doctors will take note of any possible lung cancer symptoms that you have and then conduct a physical examination. If they still believe that a lung cancer tumor is to blame for your symptoms, they’ll likely use imaging scans to look inside your body.

Then, they’ll conduct a biopsy to extract a sample of possibly cancerous fluid or tissue. The biopsy will be sent to a lab, where pathologists will look at it under a microscope and see if lung cancer cells are present.

If so, doctors will confirm that your symptoms are indeed caused by lung cancer.

Lung cancer shares many symptoms with pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lung lining first before spreading into the lungs. Common symptoms shared by both illnesses include shortness of breath, a lingering cough, and weight loss.

However, mesothelioma can develop in other parts of the body, not just the lung lining. In these cases, patients may experience symptoms that aren’t similar to lung cancer symptoms, like abdominal swelling and constipation.

Doctors can confirm if your symptoms stem from lung cancer, mesothelioma, or another illness during the time of diagnosis.

Possibly, yes. Advanced lung cancer that spreads may cause pain in other parts of your body. For example, pancoast lung cancer tumors can cause shoulder pain.

For best results, ask your doctor if any pain or other symptoms you’re experiencing could be related to lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Group was established by a team of caring advocates so those with lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases can get the help they deserve. Our site provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about lung cancer, its link to asbestos, and financial compensation available to patients. Contact us to learn more and get assistance.

  1. American Cancer Society (2023 January 18). “Can Lung Cancer Be Found Early?” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html.

  2. American Cancer Society (2023 January 12). “Lung Cancer Risk Factors.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html.

  3. American Cancer Society (2019 October 1). “Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html.

  4. American Lung Association (2022 November 17). “Lung Cancer Staging.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis/lung-cancer-staging.

  5. American Lung Association (2022 November 17). “Supportive (Palliative) Care for Lung Cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/treatment/types-of-treatment/supportive-palliative-care.

  6. American Lung Association (2022 November 17). “Types of Lung Cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/basics/lung-cancer-types.

  7. Canadian Cancer Society (2023). “Diagnosis of mesothelioma.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/mesothelioma/diagnosis.

  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022 October 25). “What Are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer?” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/basic_info/symptoms.htm.

  9. City of Hope (2023 January 11). “Stage 1 lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer/stages/stage-1-lung-cancer.

  10. City of Hope (2023 January 11). “Stage 2 lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer/stages/stage-2-lung-cancer.

  11. City of Hope (2023 January 11). “Stage 3 lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer/stages/stage-3-lung-cancer.

  12. City of Hope (2022 September 12). “Stage 4 lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer/stages/stage-iv-lung-cancer.

  13. Cleveland Clinic (2022 October 30). “Lung Cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4375-lung-cancer.

  14. Mayo Clinic (2023). “Carcinoid tumors.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carcinoid-tumors/symptoms-causes/syc-20351039.

  15. Mayo Clinic (2023). “Lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374627.

  16. Moffitt Cancer Center (2023). “Pancoast Tumor Symptoms.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://moffitt.org/cancers/pancoast-tumor/signs-symptoms/.

  17. Moffitt Cancer Center. “What Is the Difference Between Small Cell Lung Cancer & Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?“ Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://moffitt.org/cancers/lung-cancer/faqs/what-is-the-difference-between-small-cell-lung-cancer-non-small-cell-lung-cancer/.

  18. National Cancer Institute (2021 October 21). “What Is Cancer?” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.

  19. National Cancer Institute (2021 May 7). “Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq/.

  20. National Cancer Institute (2022 August 21). “Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq.

  21. NHS.com (2022 November 1). “Symptoms [of] lung cancer.” Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/.

  22. Yale Medicine. “Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.“ Retrieved February 8, 2023 from https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/non-small-cell-lung-cancer.

Free Case Review

Get Financial Compensation for Lung Cancer

  • Afford medical expenses and any other bills
  • Find peace of mind for you and your family
  • Get justice from the companies that harmed you

Call (877) 446-5767 or fill out the form to connect with our team and pursue financial compensation after a lung cancer diagnosis.

Start a Free Case Review

Secure Submission

Call us at (877) 446-5767 Talk to us via Live Chat