Lung cancer: symptoms, causes, tests and treatment
What lung cancer is, the symptoms that need a scan, why non-smokers get it too, how it is diagnosed and staged, and the treatments now available.
Also known as: Bronchogenic Carcinoma; Cancer of bronchus; Cancer of the lung; Lung malignancies; Lung malignant tumors; Lung neoplasms and 9 more
Malignant lung tumor; Malignant neoplasm of lung; Malignant tumor of lung; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; Pulmonary cancer; Pulmonary carcinoma; Pulmonary neoplasms; Respiratory carcinoma; Small Cell Lung Cancer
What lung cancer is
Lung cancer starts when cells in the lining of the airways or lungs grow out of control and form a tumour. It can spread to nearby lymph glands and to other parts of the body, such as the bones, brain, liver and adrenal glands.
There are two main groups. Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common; its main types are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Small cell lung cancer grows faster and is closely linked to smoking. The type, the stage and, increasingly, the genetic changes inside the tumour decide treatment. Lung cancer found early can sometimes be removed completely; even when it is advanced, newer treatments help many people live longer and better.
Symptoms
Early lung cancer often causes no symptoms. When symptoms appear, they may include:
- A persistent cough, or a change in a long-standing cough
- Coughing up blood, even a small streak
- Breathlessness
- Chest pain, or shoulder or back pain
- Hoarseness that does not settle
- Weight loss, loss of appetite and tiredness
- Repeated chest infections, or one that does not clear
Spread to other organs can cause bone pain, headaches, fits, or swelling of the face and neck. Any cough lasting more than a few weeks, or any coughing of blood, needs a doctor's assessment.
Causes and who is at risk in India
Smoking — cigarettes, beedis, hookah — is the biggest single cause, and the risk rises with how much and how long a person has smoked. But people who have never smoked also get lung cancer, doctors in India regularly see it in women and men who have never smoked. Other risks include:
- Second-hand smoke at home or work
- Outdoor air pollution and household smoke from cooking with wood, dung or coal
- Workplace exposure to asbestos, silica, diesel exhaust and some chemicals
- Radon, a natural radioactive gas, in some buildings
- A family history of lung cancer
- Previous lung damage, such as from tuberculosis or COPD
How it is diagnosed
- Chest X-ray — often the first test, but it can miss small tumours.
- CT scan of the chest — shows the size and position of a tumour and enlarged lymph glands.
- Biopsy — a sample of tissue, taken with a bronchoscope through the airways, a needle through the chest wall guided by CT, or an endoscopic ultrasound. A biopsy is needed to confirm cancer and its type.
- PET-CT — a scan that shows whether and where the cancer has spread, which decides the stage.
- Molecular testing — tests on the biopsy for genetic changes (such as EGFR, ALK and others) and a marker called PD-L1, which guide targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
An MRI of the brain, breathing tests and blood tests are also often needed to plan treatment. Stage runs from 1, where cancer is small and confined to the lung, to 4, where it has spread elsewhere.
Which doctor to see
A pulmonologist usually investigates a suspicious cough or scan and performs bronchoscopy. Treatment is planned by a team: a medical oncologist for chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy; a surgical oncologist or thoracic surgeon for operations; and a radiation oncologist for radiotherapy. Ask whether your case will be discussed at a multidisciplinary tumour board.
You can find medical oncologists in Bengaluru, surgical oncologists in Bengaluru or pulmonologists in Bengaluru on The Doctor Index, each with a registration you can check.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, the tumour's genetic profile, your lung function and your general health. Your team will decide based on all of these, and treatments are often combined.
- Surgery — removing the tumour and part of the lung, for early-stage non-small cell cancer in people fit enough. Keyhole techniques are often used.
- Radiotherapy — high-energy X-rays aimed at the tumour. Highly focused radiotherapy can treat small early tumours in people who cannot have surgery; it is also used with chemotherapy and to ease symptoms.
- Chemotherapy — medicines given by drip in cycles, often combined with other treatments.
- Targeted therapy — tablets or drips that act on specific genetic changes found in the tumour. They can work very well when the matching change is present.
- Immunotherapy — medicines that help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
- Palliative care — specialist support for pain, breathlessness and other symptoms, alongside cancer treatment at any stage, not only at the end of life.
Ask about side effects before starting, and report fever, breathlessness or severe diarrhoea during treatment promptly. Do not take unproven alternative remedies in place of treatment, and tell your oncologist about any supplements or herbal products, as some interact with cancer medicines.
Living with lung cancer and follow-up
- Stop smoking — it improves treatment results and recovery at every stage. The National Tobacco Quit Line on 1800-112-356 (toll-free) can help
- Stay as active as you can, and eat enough protein and calories
- Keep every follow-up scan and appointment after treatment
- Ask about counselling and support groups for you and your family
- Ask about financial support schemes your hospital can help you apply for
When it is an emergency
Call 112 or 108, or go to the nearest emergency department, for:
- Coughing up more than a small amount of blood
- Sudden or severe breathlessness
- Fever or shivering during chemotherapy or immunotherapy
- New weakness or numbness of the legs, or loss of bladder or bowel control
- Sudden swelling of the face, neck or arms, confusion or fits
Questions to ask at your appointment
- What type and stage of lung cancer do I have?
- Has my tumour been tested for genetic changes and PD-L1?
- What is the aim of treatment — to remove the cancer, control it or relieve symptoms?
- What are the side effects, and how will they be managed?
- Will my case be discussed by a tumour board?
- Who do I call if I become unwell during treatment?
Common questions
Questions people ask
- Can non-smokers get lung cancer?
- Yes. A significant number of people with lung cancer have never smoked. Second-hand smoke, air pollution, household cooking smoke, workplace exposures and genetic factors all contribute. Non-smokers are more likely to have tumours with genetic changes that can be treated with targeted medicines.
- Is lung cancer curable?
- Lung cancer found at an early stage can sometimes be removed completely with surgery or treated with focused radiotherapy. Advanced lung cancer is usually not curable, but targeted therapy and immunotherapy now control it for much longer than before in many people.
- Should I have a screening CT scan?
- Low-dose CT screening can find lung cancer early in people at high risk, mainly older long-term heavy smokers. Whether it suits you depends on your age and smoking history, and the possibility of false alarms. Discuss it with a pulmonologist before booking a scan.
- Does a biopsy make cancer spread?
- No. This is a common fear, but biopsies are safe and do not cause cancer to spread in any meaningful way. A biopsy is essential: it confirms the diagnosis and shows the type and genetic changes of the cancer, which decide the right treatment.
This condition is usually assessed by a medical oncologist. Every profile shows the doctor’s registration and what has been checked.
Medical oncologists in Bangalore
A few medical oncologists listed on The Doctor Index. They are shown because of their speciality, not a stated interest in Lung Cancer; ask the clinic whether the doctor sees it.
Related conditions
Practical reading
All postsSources
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine — Lung Cancer
- World Health Organization — Lung cancer fact sheet
- Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (2009) — A common medical error: lung cancer misdiagnosed as sputum-negative tuberculosis
- National Tobacco Control Programme, MoHFW — National Tobacco Quit Line Services
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Lung Cancer — Public-domain health-topic summary
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Lung cancer — Public-domain Genetics summary
Lung cancer: symptoms, causes, tests and treatment is original text by The Doctor Index; the compiled source draft was used for research. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999; July 2026 data, CC BY 4.0. This product uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (hp/releases/2026-09-01). Only sources listed for this article apply. Source material has been selected and arranged; HPO definitions are reproduced without alteration. No source organisation endorses this compilation. Köhler S et al. The Human Phenotype Ontology project: linking molecular biology and disease through phenotype data. Nucleic Acids Research 2014;42(D1):D966–D974. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1026.
General information, not advice about your situation. Errors can be reported through the corrections process. Reference TDI-C-1447.