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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living With Cancer

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Lung cancer can cause complications, such as:

  • Shortness of breath. People with lung cancer can experience shortness of breath if cancer grows to block the major airways. Lung cancer can also cause fluid to accumulate around the lungs, making it harder for the affected lung to expand fully when you inhale.
  • Coughing up blood. Lung cancer can cause bleeding in the airway, which can cause you to cough up blood (hemoptysis). Sometimes bleeding can become severe. Treatments are available to control bleeding.
  • Pain. Advanced lung cancer that spreads to the lining of a lung or to another area of the body, such as a bone, can cause pain. Tell your doctor if you experience pain. Pain may initially be mild and intermittent, but can become constant. Medications, radiation therapy and other treatments may help make you more comfortable.
  • Fluid in the chest (pleural effusion). Lung cancer can cause fluid to accumulate in the space that surrounds the affected lung in the chest cavity (pleural space). Pleural effusion can result from cancer spreading outside the lungs or in reaction to lung cancer inside the lungs. Fluid accumulating in the chest can cause shortness of breath. Treatments are available to drain the fluid from your chest and reduce the risk that pleural effusion will occur again.
  • Cancer that spreads to other parts of the body (metastasis). Lung cancer often spreads (metastasizes) to other parts of the body — most commonly the brain, bones, liver and adrenal glands. Cancer that spreads can cause pain, nausea, headaches, or other signs and symptoms depending on what organ is affected. In some cases, treatments are available for isolated metastasis, but in most cases, the goal of treatment for metastasis is only to relieve signs and symptoms.
  • Death. Unfortunately, survival rates for people diagnosed with lung cancer are very low. In most cases, the disease is fatal. People diagnosed at the earliest stages have the greatest chances for a cure. Your doctor can discuss your chances for survival with you.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Non-small cell lung cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  2. Estimated new cancer cases and deaths by sex for all sites, US, 2011. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-029817.pdf. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  3. Small cell lung cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  4. Johnson DH, et al. Cancer of the lung: Non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1307.
  5. What you need to know about lung cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/lung/AllPages. Accessed Oct. 7, 2011.
  6. Lung cancer prevention (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/lung/Patient/AllPages. Accessed Oct. 7, 2011.
  7. Aberle DR, et al. Reduced lung-cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomographic screening. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;365:395.
  8. Greaves SM, et al. The new staging system for lung cancer: Imaging and clinical implications. Journal of Thoracic Imaging. 2011;26:119.
  9. Xalkori (prescribing information). New York, N.Y.: Pfizer Labs; 2011. www.pfizerpro.com/Xalkori. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  10. Avastin (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech Inc.; 2011. http://www.avastin.com/avastin/hcp/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  11. Tarceva (prescribing information). Melville, N.Y.: OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2011. http://www.tarceva.com/patient/considering/index.jsp. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  12. Kvale PA, et al. Palliative care in lung cancer. Chest. 2007;132(suppl):368S.
  13. Cassileth BR, et al. Complementary therapies and integrative oncology in lung cancer. Chest. 2007:132(suppl):340S.
  14. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=stereotactic. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  15. Temel JS, et al. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363:733.
  16. Li Y, et al. Effect of emphysema on lung cancer risk in smokers: A computed tomography-based assessment. Cancer Prevention Research. 2010;4:53.
  17. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 19, 2011.
  18. 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. Accessed Nov. 8, 2011.
DS00038 April 17, 2012

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