The signs of lung cancer to look out for, and what to do if your symptoms don’t go away
Lung cancer can affect anyone. You don’t need to be older, and it can happen even when it’s the last thing you’d expect.
Over the past four years, the volunteers who have shared their stories with All You Need Is Lungs have told us the same thing again and again. Their symptoms were easy to explain away, by them and sometimes by others. A cough was put down to a cold. Tiredness was put down to work, or family life. Back or shoulder pain was put down to a strain.
This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we want everyone to know the symptoms of lung cancer and feel confident asking for help.
Symptoms of lung cancer
The most common symptoms of lung cancer include:
a cough that won’t go away
shortness of breath
fatigue
a hoarse or croaky voice
pain in the chest, shoulder, neck or back
unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite
chest infections that keep coming back
coughing up blood
swollen lymph nodes around the collarbone
Having one or more of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have lung cancer. Many of them have other, more common causes. But if they persist and there’s no clear reason, they’re worth getting checked.
When to see your GP about lung cancer symptoms
If your 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’s 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
Why finding lung cancer early helps
Finding lung cancer early increases your options. The sooner it’s found, the more treatment choices there may be.
That’s why it’s so important not to ignore symptoms that keep coming back, even if you feel you’re not the kind of person who gets lung cancer.
Lung cancer can look like anyone
Many of our volunteers were diagnosed when they were young, fit and busy with life. Their stories show that lung cancer doesn’t look a certain way.
Read their stories and their 2026 updates at allyouneedislungs.org.uk
About All You Need Is Lungs
All You Need Is Lungs is a joint Lung Cancer Awareness Month campaign from ALK Positive UK, EGFR+ Lung Cancer UK and the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Now in its fourth year, it shares the real stories of people affected by lung cancer to raise awareness of its symptoms and to show that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.
