Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell: Symptoms and Signs

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 12/2022

ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about changes and other things that can signal a problem that may need medical care. Use the menu to see other pages.

People with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may experience the following symptoms or signs. Symptoms are changes that you can feel in your body. Signs are changes in something measured, like by taking your blood pressure or doing a lab test. Together, symptoms and signs can help describe a medical problem. Sometimes, people with NSCLC do not have any of the symptoms and signs described below. Or, the cause of a symptom or sign may be a medical condition that is not cancer.

  • Fatigue

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath

  • Chest pain, if a tumor spreads to the lining of the lung or other parts of the body near the lungs

  • Loss of appetite

  • Coughing up phlegm or mucus

  • Coughing up blood

  • Unintentional weight loss

  • Hoarseness

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor. Your doctor will ask how long and how often you’ve been experiencing the symptom(s), in addition to other questions. This is to help figure out the cause of the problem, called a diagnosis.

For people with NSCLC who have no symptoms, the cancer may be noticed on an imaging test – such as a chest x-ray or CT scan – performed for some other reason, such as checking for heart disease. Most people with NSCLC are diagnosed when the tumor grows, takes up space, or begins to cause problems with parts of the body near the lungs. A lung tumor may also make fluid that can build up in the lung or the space around the lung or push the air out of the lungs and cause the lung to collapse. This prevents oxygen from getting in the body and carbon dioxide from leaving the body by blocking the flow of air into the lungs, or by using up the space normally required for oxygen to come in and carbon dioxide to go out of the lung.

NSCLC can spread anywhere in the body through a process called metastasis. It most commonly spreads to the lymph nodes, other parts of the lungs, bones, brain, liver, and structures near the kidneys called the adrenal glands. Metastases from NSCLC can cause:

  • More breathing difficulties

  • Bone pain

  • Abdominal or back pain

  • Headache

  • Weakness

  • Seizures

  • Speech difficulties

  • Rarely, a lung tumor can release hormones that cause problems such as low blood sodium levels or high blood calcium levels

Symptoms such as fatigue, feeling out-of-sorts or unwell, and loss of appetite are not necessarily caused by metastases. Cancer anywhere in the body can cause a person to feel unwell in a general way. Loss of appetite can cause weight loss and muscle loss. Fatigue and weakness can further worsen a person’s ability to breathe. Muscle loss also contributes to weakness and loss of mobility.

If cancer is diagnosed, relieving symptoms remains an important part of cancer care and treatment. Managing symptoms may also be called "palliative care" or "supportive care." It is often started soon after diagnosis and continued throughout treatment. Be sure to talk with your health care team about the symptoms you experience, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms.

The next section in this guide is Diagnosis. It explains what tests may be needed to learn more about the cause of the symptoms. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.