Lung cancer

What is it?

Lung cancer is cancer in one or both lungs.⁵ It usually starts in the cells that line the airways.¹ There are two main types: non-small cell lung cancer, which is the more common one, and small cell lung cancer.¹ They grow in different ways and are treated differently.¹

It is one of the most common types of cancer.⁵ Lung cancer is most often found in people aged 65 to 74.⁴ Smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer.¹ Second-hand smoke, radon gas in buildings, air pollution, asbestos at work and the lung disease COPD raise the risk too.⁶ Having a close relative who had lung cancer also makes it more likely.⁶

The first signs

You may not notice anything in the early stages.² Sometimes it is found by chance on a chest X-ray done for another reason.^7,1

• a cough that does not go away;²
• feeling short of breath;²
• coughing up blood;²
• pain in the chest or shoulder;²
• chest infections that keep coming back or do not get better;²
• losing weight without trying, a poor appetite or feeling tired all the time.²

Less common signs are easy to miss: a hoarse voice that does not go away, trouble swallowing, a swollen face or neck, or fingertips that change shape (clubbing).² Some of these signs are very common and can be caused by other conditions.²

How doctors find out

If your family doctor thinks you could have lung cancer, they send you to a specialist.⁸ You will usually have a CT scan and a bronchoscopy: a thin, bendy tube with a small camera is passed into your lungs, and small samples can be taken.^8,7

If you have lung cancer, you may need more tests, such as an MRI scan, a PET scan, a biopsy (a small piece of tissue checked under a microscope), blood tests and genetic testing.^8,7 They show the type of cancer and how far it has spread, so your team can choose the right treatment.⁸ A specialist nurse is your main contact during and after treatment.⁸

Current treatment

Surgery, chemoradiation or targeted/immune drugs by stageSource: NCI

Will it get worse?

It depends on how big the cancer is, whether it has spread, and your general health.⁵ In about half of people (51%), the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body when it is found.⁴ Advanced lung cancer can be hard to treat.³ Then the aim is to slow the cancer down, and a palliative care team helps with symptoms and comfort.³ Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.¹

Medicines: what helps, and what to watch for

Chemotherapy is medicine that kills cancer cells.³ It can be given before surgery to shrink a tumour, after surgery to lower the chance of the cancer coming back, or when surgery is not possible.³ Targeted medicines kill cancer cells or stop them growing as quickly. Your treatment can depend on whether the cancer has changes (mutations) in certain genes, such as EGFR or ALK.^3,7 Immunotherapy helps your own immune system kill the cancer.³ Chemotherapy may be combined with other treatments, such as radiotherapy or immunotherapy.^7,3

Good to know:

• Most people get some side effects of chemotherapy, but not all of them. Common ones are tiredness, feeling sick, a sore mouth, hair loss that is usually temporary, and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet;⁹
• Your team explains the benefits and side effects of each treatment and helps you manage them.³

Exercise and therapy help too

Breathlessness is hard to live with, but some things help.¹⁰

• practising slow, relaxed tummy breathing for 10 minutes, at least twice a day;¹⁰
• breathing in through your nose and out through narrowed lips;¹⁰
• a fan that blows cool air across your face;¹⁰
• pacing yourself and planning rest times;¹⁰
• small meals instead of a few big ones, and plenty to drink.¹⁰

Rest, but also some gentle physical activity, can help with tiredness.¹¹ Many hospitals have clinics for breathing problems, or a physiotherapist or nurse who specialises in breathing.¹⁰

Surgery and radiotherapy, for some people

Surgery can remove the cancer from the lung.³ Depending on the tumour, the surgeon takes out a small piece, one lobe (section) of the lung, or the whole lung.⁷ Chemotherapy or radiotherapy may follow to kill any cancer cells left behind.⁷

Radiotherapy uses beams of radiation aimed at the tumour to kill cancer cells.³ It is used when surgery is not possible, after surgery, or when the cancer has spread.^7,3 One type of radiotherapy uses special equipment to aim a larger than usual dose of radiation directly at the tumour once a day for several days.⁷

Is there a cure?

For most people, not yet: today's treatments do not cure most lung cancers.¹ Cancer found early, for example through screening, may be easier to treat.^5,2 Clinical trials are taking place for people with all stages of non-small cell lung cancer.⁷

See the 3,112 trials you can join

Median survival

About 17 months with two immunotherapy medicines, once it has spread (non-small cell lung cancer)Source: NCI PDQ, 2025

Measured in: First-line treatment of stage IV or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR or ALK changes: the CheckMate 227 trial (1,739 patients)

Sources

Written in plain words by Frontlight from these pages:

1. MedlinePlus: Lung Cancer
2. NHS: Lung cancer – Symptoms
3. NHS: Lung cancer – Treatment
4. NCI SEER: Cancer Stat Facts: Lung and Bronchus Cancer
5. NHS: Lung cancer – What is lung cancer?
6. NHS: Lung cancer – Causes
7. NCI PDQ: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ) – Patient Version
8. NHS: Lung cancer – Tests and next steps
9. NHS: Chemotherapy – Side effects
10. Cancer Research UK (charity): Lung cancer – Coping with breathlessness
11. Cancer Research UK (charity): Lung cancer – Coping and support