Symptoms of lung cancer in men

Lung cancer is a condition in which abnormal cells grow in lung tissue. Symptoms can develop as a tumour irritates the airways, narrows a passage, or affects nearby structures. A cough or hoarse voice has many possible causes, including infection, reflux, smoking-related irritation, and other lung conditions; a symptom alone cannot establish cancer. A persistent hoarse voice can be assessed separately here: /symptoms/hoarse-voice/. Less commonly, advanced disease can cause headaches, weakness, confusion, or seizures if it affects the brain; these symptoms need prompt medical assessment.

Arrange a medical review if a cough does not settle, breathing becomes harder, chest pain recurs, or there is unexplained weight loss or coughing blood. A clinician may examine your chest, review smoking and occupational exposures, and arrange imaging or other tests. If lung cancer is found, testing of the tumour may help guide treatment choices; genomic tumour profiling is one such approach. Treatment can involve surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or symptom-focused palliative care, depending on the findings.

Seek emergency help for severe difficulty breathing, a large amount of coughing blood, new confusion, a seizure, fainting, or sudden weakness. Contact a clinician promptly for any blood in sputum, worsening breathlessness, persistent chest pain, or a cough that is changing. Do not wait for symptoms to become severe before arranging an assessment.

Ask which tests are appropriate, what other causes have been considered, whether imaging shows a localised or more widespread problem, and how results will affect treatment. You can also ask about stopping tobacco, managing breathlessness, and who to contact if symptoms worsen.