Lung Cancer Awareness
The symptoms that should prompt assessment, and who is offered screening.
Last revised
Key takeaways
- Commonest presenting symptom: a persistent cough
- Referral threshold for cough: more than 3 weeks
- Most useful single change: See a GP for any cough lasting more than three weeks.
- Commonest mistake: Attributing a persistent cough to smoking and leaving it.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Why it matters
Survival depends heavily on stage at diagnosis, and most symptoms are ones people wait on.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Commonest presenting symptom | a persistent cough |
| Referral threshold for cough | more than 3 weeks |
| Targeted Lung Health Checks | being rolled out for people aged 55-74 who smoke or used to |
| Coughing up blood | always needs assessment, in any amount |
What helps
- See a GP for any cough lasting more than three weeks
- Attend a lung health check if you are invited
- Stop smoking, which remains the largest modifiable factor
- Mention weight loss, fatigue or appetite change alongside respiratory symptoms
What to avoid
- Attributing a persistent cough to smoking and leaving it
- Waiting for pain, which is often a late symptom
- Declining a lung health check invitation
Where to go next
- Lung Cancer Awareness: The Practical To-Do List
- Lung Cancer Awareness: Separating Myth From Guidance
- The Evidence on Asthma, Without the Hype
- What the Guidance Really Says About COPD
When to get help
See a GP urgently for a cough lasting more than three weeks, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, persistent chest or shoulder pain, hoarseness lasting three weeks, recurrent chest infections, finger clubbing, or increasing breathlessness. Coughing up blood always warrants assessment regardless of amount.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.