Lung cancer can be a very aggressive, but largely quiet disease initially. It typically does not have any early warning signs or symptoms until the cancer advances. Some symptoms, like coughing up blood, are a clear warning sign that something is not normal. But other symptoms, such as feeling tired or a lingering cough, may be dismissed, ignored, or attributed to other conditions such as the flu or a cold.
Symptoms to tell your doctor:
See your doctor for an evaluation and accurate diagnosis if you experience any of the following:
- Cough that worsens or does not go away
- Breathing trouble, such as shortness of breath
- Becoming short of breath quicker
- Constant chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Hoarse voice
- Frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia
- Feeling very tired all the time
- Weight loss with no known cause
Signs that lung cancer has spread:
- Pain in your bones such as your back, ribs, spine or shoulder blades
- New headaches
- New dizziness or loss of balance
- Vision changes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Lumps, such as in the neck region