Lung Cancer: Symptoms

Lung cancer often doesn't cause symptoms in its early stages. In fact, many lung cancers don't cause symptoms until they have already spread.

Being told you have lung cancer can be scary, and you may have many questions. But you have people on your healthcare team to help.

If your healthcare provider thinks you may have lung cancer, they will most likely order a number of tests. These tests can diagnose lung cancer and reveal the type of cancer, where it's located, and if, or how much, it has spread. Test results may also help your healthcare provider plan treatment.

All lung cancers can be staged using the TNM system. This system is based on how large the cancer is and how far it has spread.

Surgery can be done to both diagnose and treat lung cancer. In most cases, surgery is used if the cancer is found in an early stage. You will need to prepare. Work with your healthcare provider to learn more about what to expect before, during, and after surgery.

If your healthcare provider thinks you may have lung cancer, you will need certain exams and tests to be sure.

The stage of a cancer is how much and how far the cancer has spread in your body. Your healthcare provider uses exams and tests to find out the size of the cancer and where it is.

Tests help your healthcare providers learn more about your cancer. They can help show if the cancer has grown into nearby areas or spread to other parts of the body.

If lung cancer is detected early, when it's small and hasn't had the chance to spread, it is more likely to be treated successfully. But lung cancer can be hard to catch at an early stage. People with lung cancer often don't show symptoms until it's more advanced. Even then, it's easy to attribute those symptoms to other causes.

Between 1 in 10 and 1 in 5 lung cancers each year are diagnosed in non-smokers.

Dyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.