The main symptoms of lung cancer are:
- a new cough that lasts more than 3 weeks, or a cough you have had for a long time that gets worse
- breathlessness or wheezing
- pain in the chest or shoulder
- a chest infection that is recurring or lasts more than 3 weeks
- coughing or spitting up blood.
Lung cancer may also cause other and more general symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, abdominal (belly) pain, joint pain, neck or face swelling, sweats, and enlarged fingertips (finger clubbing).
Having any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have lung cancer; they may be caused by other conditions or from other effects of smoking. Sometimes, there are no symptoms and the cancer is found during routine tests for other conditions. If you have symptoms, see your doctor without delay.
→ READ MORE: Lung cancer diagnosis
For an overview of what to expect at every stage of your cancer care, visit Cancer Pathways – Lung Cancer. This is a short guide to what is recommended, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
More resources
Dr Malinda Itchins, Thoracic Medical Oncologist, Royal North Shore Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Dr Cynleen Kai, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, VIC; Dr Naveed Alam, Thoracic Surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital, Epworth Richmond, and Monash Medical Centre, VIC; Helen Benny, Consumer; Dr Rachael Dodd, Senior Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre, NSW; Kim Greco, Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse Consultant, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Marco Salvador, Consumer; Janene Shelton, Lung Foundation Australia – Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse, Darling Downs Health, QLD; Prof Emily Stone, Respiratory Physician, Department of Thoracic Medicine and Lung Transplantation, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, NSW; A/Prof Marianne Weber, Stream Lead, Lung Cancer Policy and Evaluation, The Daffodil Centre, NSW.
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