Amazingly, almost 25% of all the people whoe are being diagnosed may have shown no symptoms of lung cancer at the time the disease was found. As for many other cancers too, lung cancer is usually detected incidentally during an x-ray that was performed for an unrelated reason.

However, the majority obviously does develop lung cancer symptoms and their direct causes can be categorized into three areas: activity of the primary tumor, effects of distant tumors (metastases) in other parts of the body, or specific imbalances in a patient’s blood or hormones which can be clearly linked back to the cancer.

The most commonly named lung cancer signs and symptoms are dry cough, coughing with blood, shortness of breath and mild to severe chest pain.

If a person, who smokes or has been smoking formerly, suddenly develops a cough that can't be associated otherwise, it might be a sign for lung cancer.
But also for non smokers, if a cough does not subside or does get even worse progressively, it is strongly advised to consult with a health care professional. Among the signs and symptoms of lung cancer, coughing up blood is frequently seen in patients with lung cancer.

The amount of blood is irrelevant and even the slightest occurrence should be discussed with a doctor immediately. One in four lung cancer patients suffer from chest pain.
This pain is often described as dull and persistent, and can possibly occur in any parts of the chest, not only where the lungs are localized.

Shortness of breath is typically explained by fluids that have collected in the lungs - also called pleural effusion -, or by an obstruction inside the lungs that affect the air flow.

Another often seen symptom of lung cancer is wheezing. This could be a sign of an inflammation inside the lungs caused by the cancer.

If a person suffers from chronic or repeated infections of the respiratory system (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.), that might be another indication for a lung cancer symptom.

The signs and symptoms for metastatic lung cancer strongly depend on the size and their location inside the patient’s body.
Up to 40% of all people who are diagnosed with lung cancer exhibit sings of metastatic cancer.

If the cancer has spread, it typically forms metastases in the liver and nearby adrenal glands, as well as the bones and the brain.
Lung cancer metastases that are found in the liver do usually not cause any symptoms in their early stage.

The same is true for cancer masses in the adrenal glands.
If the lung cancer has affected the bones, it's typically the backbone, the thighbones and the ribs that cause the patient the most pain. If the brain has been affected, the patient might suffer from problems with his vision and from seizures.