When lung cancer is found makes a huge difference to what happens next.
Almost 65% of people diagnosed with lung cancer at stage 1 survive for five years or more. For people diagnosed at stage 4, it’s around 5%.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, and fewer than 1 in 5 people diagnosed survive for five years or more. Finding it earlier is one of the most effective ways to change that.
Lung cancer survival by stage
Stage describes how far a cancer has grown or spread. At stage 1, lung cancer is small and hasn’t spread beyond the lung. By stage 4, it has spread to other parts of the body.
Finding lung cancer at an early stage means more treatment options, including surgery or radiotherapy that aims to remove the cancer completely.
There has been progress. The proportion of people diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 rose from 35.5% in 2023 to 40.2% in 2024. But in 2024, 30.2% of people were still diagnosed after an emergency admission to hospital, often when the cancer was already advanced.
Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer
Lung cancer can affect anyone, at any age. Around 15% of people diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK have never smoked.
Many of the volunteers who have shared their stories with All You Need Is Lungs were young, fit and busy with life when they were diagnosed. Their symptoms were easy to put down to something else, such as a chest infection, asthma, a pulled muscle or stress. Several saw a doctor more than once before lung cancer was considered.
Symptoms of lung cancer
a cough that won’t go away
breathlessness
fatigue
a hoarse or croaky voice
chest, shoulder or back pain
unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
chest infections that keep coming back
coughing up blood
swollen lymph nodes around the neck or collarbone
When to see your GP
If symptoms persist and there’s no clear reason for them, speak to your GP and ask for a chest X-ray.
It can help to:
write down your symptoms and how long you’ve had them
mention anything that has changed or got worse
say if you’ve already been treated for something, such as a chest infection, and it hasn’t cleared up
go back if your symptoms don’t improve
Helping healthcare professionals spot lung cancer early
See Through the Symptoms is the part of All You Need Is Lungs aimed at healthcare professionals. It helps GPs, paramedics, physiotherapists, pharmacists and others recognise lung cancer in people who might not fit the expected picture. Find out more at seethroughthesymptoms.uk
Read real stories
Read our volunteers’ stories and their 2026 updates on the 2026 Voices page.
Sources: Cancer Research UK; National Lung Cancer Audit State of the Nation Report 2026; Khan et al., BJC Reports (2023)
