Lung cancer: know the signs, take action

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Quick Links
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Understanding symptoms and risks
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In the UK, people with symptoms of lung cancer usually have an urgent chest X-Ray first.1 Separately, screening programmes for people at high risk use low-dose CT scans2, which can find lung cancer earlier and reduce deaths by around 16%3

If you're aged 55 to 742 and have ever smoked, you may be at higher risk of lung cancer. In some parts of the UK, you may be invited for lung cancer screening, which can include a low-dose CT scan to check your lungs.
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LUNG CANCER SYMPTOMS

Clues your body might be giving you

Lung cancer symptoms can vary. They may include symptoms affecting the lungs, symptoms arising if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, or in some cases no symptoms at all. Some people may experience a general feeling of being unwell, which may not immediately be associated with cancer.
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Common symptoms of lung cancer can include:4
  • A cough that does not go away
  • Coughing up blood
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing
  • Feeling unusually tired (fatigue)
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Chest infections, such as pneumonia, that keep coming back
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RISK FACTORS

What can raise your risk?

Some things can make lung cancer more likely. Learn about the main risk factors below.
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Lifestyle

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Smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer. Breathing in other people’s smoke (second-hand smoke) can also increase your risk.5
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Home environment

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Exposure to radon gas in the home can increase the risk of developing lung cancer.5
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Work and community

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Longterm exposure to asbestos, cancer‑ causing‑ chemicals, diesel exhaust, or air pollution in the workplace or community can increase lung cancer risk.5
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Medical and family history

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Having had radiation therapy to the chest, or a personal or family history of lung cancer, can increase your risk of developing the disease.5
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Lung cancer is easier to treat when found early.

About 65 out of 100 people live 5 years or more when Stage 1 lung cancer is caught before it spreads.6 A low‑dose CT scan is a type of X‑ray that takes detailed pictures of the lungs. Used in screening programmes, it can help find lung cancer early and reduce deaths from the disease.3 If you're aged between 55 and 74 and are a current or former smoker, you may be invited for lung cancer screening.2
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DIAGNOSING LUNG CANCER

Steps to a lung cancer diagnosis

If you’re having symptoms, talk to your GP. They will ask about your medical history, examine you, and may ask you to breathe into a device called a spirometer to check your lung function. Blood tests may also be used to help rule out other causes, such as an infection. 7

If you're aged between 55 and 74 and are a current or former smoker, you may be invited for lung cancer screening in some parts of the UK. The scan is quick and painless—you lie on a table that moves through a scanner while pictures of your lungs are taken. Screening can help find lung cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. 2

Your doctor may arrange further tests. Common steps include:

FIRST
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Imaging tests

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A chest X‑ray is usually the first test. If needed, a CT scan is used to create detailed images of the lungs and check whether the cancer may have spread. Imaging tests alone cannot confirm lung cancer.7
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Lab tests

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Blood tests help rule out some of the possible causes of your symptoms, such as a chest infection.7
THEN
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Biopsy

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A biopsy is the only way to confirm lung cancer. A small sample of tissue is taken and examined under a microscope to identify the cancer type.7
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Biomarker testing

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If lung cancer is confirmed, biomarker testing may be used to look for specific changes in the cancer cells. This helps doctors choose treatments that are more likely to work for certain types of lung cancer.7
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TREATMENT

Common treatment options for lung cancer

There are different ways to treat lung cancer. You may have more than one type of treatment, either at the same time or one after another. It’s important to ask questions and understand how each treatment works and what side effects it may have.

Some common treatments include: 8

  • Surgery – an operation to remove the cancer from the lung.
  • Chemotherapy – medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing.
  • Immunotherapy – medicines that help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
  • Targeted therapy – medicines that target specific changes in cancer cells to slow or stop their growth.
  • Radiotherapy – treatment using high-‑energy radiation, similar to X-rays‑, to destroy cancer cells.

References

  1. NHS England; RM Partners. National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway [Internet].London: NHS England; 1 Jan 2024 [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://rmpartners.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/national-optimal-lung-cancer-pathway_v4_01jan2024.pdf
  2. UK National Screening Committee. Lung cancer: screening recommendation [Internet].London: UK NSC; 2022 [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/lung-cancer/
  3. Field JK, Duffy SW, Baldwin DR, et al. Lung cancer mortality reduction by low‑dose CT screening: UKLS randomised trial and international meta‑analysis [Internet]. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021 [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34806061/
  4. NHS. Lung cancer: symptoms [Internet]. London: NHS; [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/
  5. Macmillan Cancer Support. Causes and risk factors of lung cancer [Internet]. London: Macmillan Cancer Support; [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/lung-cancer/causes-and-risk-factors-of-lung-cancer
  6. Cancer Research UK. Survival for lung cancer [Internet]. London: Cancer Research UK; [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/lung-cancer/survival
  7. NHS. Lung cancer: diagnosis [Internet]. London: NHS; [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/diagnosis/
  8. NHS. Lung cancer: treatment [Internet]. London: NHS; [accessed 11 Mar 2026]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/treatment/
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