Symptoms of lung cancer

You often won’t have any symptoms of lung cancer until a tumour becomes quite large. This means it might only be discovered when you have an X-ray or scan for a different reason.

As your condition progresses, you’ll begin to experience symptoms, such as:

• a cough
• feeling out of breath
• chest pain
• feeling tired      
• appetite loss
• weight loss
• a hoarse voice
• blood in your mucus or phlegm

If you have these symptoms, you should see your doctor. Having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have lung cancer – they’re common and have many different causes. People with long-term lung disease might already have many of them. But it’s very important to tell your doctor if your usual symptoms change or become worse.

If you have a tumour that has spread outside your lungs, the first symptom might not come from your chest at all. In this case, symptoms might include:

• back pain
• bone pain or fracture
• nerve or brain damage – this might affect walking, talking, behaviour or memory
• confusion
• swallowing difficulties
• jaundice – when your skin or eyes become yellow

Next: Diagnosing lung cancer >