Superior vena cava syndrome , a tumor blocking a major vein in the neck and chest. An occasional cough is usually not something to worry about. But you should let your health care provider know if you have a persistent cough or if your existing cough worsens. Cough up blood.
If you cough up blood, you should call your health care team right away or go to the emergency room. This can be a sign that a cancer has spread to the lungs and it can be an emergency. There are many reasons why you might cough up blood that are not an emergency, including as a side effect of radiation therapy, but this symptom should be evaluated by your doctor or an emergency care provider as soon as possible.
Cough up colored mucus. Yellow, green, or foul-smelling mucus could be a sign of an infection. Common colds can cause colored mucus, but so can the flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis. These can be serious conditions for people with cancer that need immediate care. Learn more about when to call the doctor during your cancer treatment. Experience other symptoms with your cough. Tell your doctor about any new or worsening symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, heartburn, vomiting, roughness in your voice, trouble swallowing, a sore throat, or swelling in your feet.
To help learn the reason for your cough, your health care provider may ask you some of the following questions:. Chest x-ray. This test takes a picture of the inside of your chest. This test cannot find all problems that can cause a cough, but it can help your health care team diagnose problems like pneumonia.
This scan takes pictures of the inside of the body using x-rays and then combines these images into a detailed 3-dimensional image. Heart tests. An electrocardiogram or echocardiogram may be necessary to see if your cough is caused by problems with your heart. How your cough is treated depends on what is causing it. In general, it may be helpful to start tracking your cough at home, noting when and how often you cough, to help your doctor determine its cause. Learn more about symptom tracking.
Your cough may have a cause that is unrelated to your cancer. If this is the case, your health care provider can provide treatments to help. For example, such treatment may include antacids to treat acid reflux or steroids for asthma. For a cough caused by a tumor, you may need chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. Talk with your health care team about which treatment is best for you. For a cough with reversible causes, your health care provider will treat the cause of your cough.
For fluid around the lungs pleural effusion , you may need a procedure to remove the fluid. For an infection like pneumonia, you may need antibiotics. In some cases, it is not possible to treat the cause of a cough or treating the cause will not be helpful. Cancer symptom clusters: an exploratory analysis of eight statistical techniques. J Pain Symptom Manage. Published online April 18, Bausewein C, Simon ST. Shortness of breath and cough in patients in palliative care. Dtsch Arztebl Int.
Cancer symptom clusters: Clinical and research methodology. J Palliat Med. Important drugs for cough in advanced cancer. Support Care Cancer.
Schroeder K, Fahey T. Over-the-counter medications for acute cough in children and adults in ambulatory settings. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Opiate therapy in chronic cough.
Doona M, Walsh D. Benzonatate for opioid-resistant cough in advanced cancer. Dextromethorphan and codeine: objective assessment of antitussive activity in patients with chronic cough. J Int Med Res. Estfan B, Walsh D. The cough from hell: diazepam for intractable cough in a patient with renal cell carcinoma.
Is it Cancer? November 7, Jeannette Y. One of the most important methods of prevention is to avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke.
People may reduce their risk of developing lung cancer by avoiding other carcinogens, such as asbestos. Carcinogens are chemicals that can make cells more likely to become cancerous. Most coughs are typically harmless and resolve on their own within a few weeks.
Coughs can result from a broad range of environmental factors and medical conditions. While having a cough does not always mean a person has lung cancer, a persistent cough is a common symptom of the condition. If a person experiences a persistent cough alongside other lung cancer symptoms, such as blood in the spit and chest pain, they should contact a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the outlook for people with lung cancer.
There are also a number of ways in which people can reduce their likelihood of developing lung cancer. These include quitting smoking, avoiding exposure to other carcinogens, and exercising regularly. Coughing is the fast expulsion of air from the lungs when the vocal chords are open, which gives a cough its characteristic sound. Find out here about…. Some people experience subtle symptoms of lung cancer during the early stages of the disease. Read on to learn more, including when to see a doctor.
A dry cough is a type of cough that does not produce phlegm. What is the link between lung cancer and a cough? Coughing and lung cancer Other symptoms Causes of coughing Contacting a doctor Treatment Outlook Prevention Summary Many people will experience a nagging cough at some point in their life, usually with little complication. Coughing and lung cancer. Other symptoms. Causes of coughing. When to contact a doctor. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.
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