Survivorship

People with lung cancer may experience symptoms caused by the cancer or by cancer treatments (side effects). Common symptoms caused by lung cancer include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, coughing up blood, pain, fever, and weight loss. Side effects vary depending on the type of treatment. People who want information about symptoms and side effects and those that can occur with their treatment plan should talk to their doctors. Also those with symptoms or concerns should discuss them with their doctors. Doctors can help answer questions and make a plan to control symptoms.

For more information about symptoms and side effects, visit the National Cancer Institute's Coping with Cancer and the American Cancer Society's Symptoms and Side Effects.

For information about finding or providing support for people with lung cancer and their caregivers, visit CDC's Cancer Survivorship and the Lung Cancer Alliance's Support.

A study suggested that people diagnosed with lung cancer sometimes feel stigmatized by others.¹ That is, because smoking is associated with lung cancer, some people feel blamed for causing their illness. Even some people who never smoked had similar feelings. For some, these feelings interfered with relationships or made them not want to talk to others about their cancer. To learn more, visit the American Cancer Society's Many Lung Cancer Patients Feel Stigmatized.

Reference

¹Chapple A, Ziebland S, McPherson A. Stigma, shame and blame experienced by patients with lung cancer: A qualitative study. British Medical Journal 2004;328:1470.