If you have any possible symptoms of lung cancer it is important to get them checked by your GP. Many of the symptoms we mention can be caused by other lung conditions or by smoking. But it is always important to get them checked.

Lung cancer may not always cause symptoms early on. Sometimes it might be found when a person is having tests for another condition.

Common symptoms of lung cancer

The most common symptoms of lung cancer can include:

• a cough for 3 weeks or more
• a change in a cough you have had for a long time
• a chest infection that does not get better, or repeated chest infections
• feeling breathless and wheezy for no reason
• coughing up blood.

Other possible symptoms are:

• loss of appetite
• losing weight for no obvious reason
• feeling tired.

Less common symptoms

Less common symptoms of lung cancer may include:

• a hoarse voice for 3 weeks or more
• chest or shoulder pain that does not get better
• the tips of fingers becoming larger or more curved – this is called finger clubbing.

Symptoms of advanced lung cancer

If lung cancer is advanced, it may cause different conditions that have their own symptoms. For example, a condition called superior vena cava obstruction (SVCO) may happen if the cancer presses on a vein in the chest. Symptoms include swelling in the face, neck and arms. It needs to be treated straight away.

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, symptoms will depend on where the cancer has spread. For example, if lung cancer has spread to the liver, you may feel sick, have itchy skin or have yellowing skin.