What should you know about metastatic lung cancer cough?

A tumour can irritate or narrow an airway, affect nearby tissue or contribute to fluid around the lung. Infection, reflux, asthma, smoking-related irritation and treatment can also cause cough. A cough does not by itself show that cancer is metastatic.

Tell the clinical team whether the cough is dry or brings up mucus, whether it is worse at night or with activity, and whether it comes with breathlessness, chest pain, fever, weight change or blood. A hoarse voice may occur with irritation or pressure near nerves and also needs assessment when persistent.

Assessment may include listening to your chest, reviewing medicines, checking oxygen levels and arranging imaging or other tests. If the cancer has a change that can guide treatment, genomic tumour profiling may be discussed. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other cancer treatment may help when the tumour is contributing to cough.

Palliative care can help manage cough, breathlessness, sleep disruption and anxiety while the underlying cause is investigated or treated. Keep a record of triggers and changes, and use only cough medicines recommended for your situation.

Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, confusion, fainting or significant bleeding. Contact your cancer team promptly for coughing blood, rapidly worsening cough, fever during treatment, new chest pain, increasing breathlessness or a cough that prevents sleep or drinking.

What could be causing my cough? Do I need imaging or a medicine review? Could treatment be contributing? Would genomic tumour profiling affect my options? What can I safely use at home, and which changes mean I should call immediately?