Symptoms of metastatic lung cancer

Metastatic lung cancer means that the cancer has spread from where it started in the lung. It is also called advanced lung cancer.

It might not mean that you have advanced cancer if you have the symptoms described below. They can be caused by other conditions.

General symptoms

Possible symptoms of lung cancer are:

• a new cough or a cough most of the time

• breathlessness

• unexplained weight loss

• a chest infection that won't go away or keeps coming back

• coughing up blood

• a hoarse voice

• difficulty swallowing

• changes in the shape of your fingers and nails called finger clubbing

• swelling of the face caused by a blockage of a main blood vessel (superior vena cava obstruction)

• a loss of appetite

• tiredness and weakness

Your doctor might carry out routine blood tests and find that you have a raised platelet count (thrombocytosis). This might be a sign of lung cancer but could also be due to other illnesses or conditions.

The pleura or pleural membranes are 2 fibrous sheets of tissue. They cover the lungs and help to protect them. Lung cancer can sometimes cause a build up of fluid between the pleura. This is called a pleural effusion. This can cause a cough and breathlessness.

Read about a pleural effusion and its treatment

Breathlessness

You may feel very breathless if the cancer is blocking your airway or if there is fluid around your lung.

Find out about coping with breathlessness

Where lung cancer can spread

Other symptoms of metastatic lung cancer depend on where the cancer is in the body. Lung cancer can spread to:

• the ​lymph nodes​ nearby or distant lymph nodes

• the brain

• the liver

• the bones

• the ​adrenal glands​

• other parts of the lung or the other lung

Symptoms if lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes

The lymph nodes are part of a system of tubes and glands in the body that filters body fluid and fight infection.

The most common symptom if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes is that they are bigger than normal. But lymph nodes also get bigger if you have an infection. So you can't be sure of the cause of a lump until your doctor has examined you and done some tests.

Tell your doctor if you find any lumps or swollen areas, particularly in your neck or armpits.

Symptoms if lung cancer has spread to the liver

You might have any of the following symptoms if your cancer has spread to the liver:

• discomfort or pain on the right side of your tummy (abdomen)

• feeling sick

• poor appetite and weight loss

• a swollen tummy (called ascites)

• yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

• itchy skin

Find out about cancer that has spread to the liver

Symptoms if lung cancer has spread to the bone

Cancer that has spread to the bone can cause:

• pain - this can be lower back pain if the cancer cells are in the spinal bones

• weaker bones - they may get damaged or break more easily

• raised calcium levels in your blood - causing dehydration and confusion

If you have these symptoms, you may have a ​PET-CT​ scan or a ​bone scan​ .

Sometimes cancer cells in the spinal bones can press on the spinal cord. This is called spinal cord compression. It can cause:

• weakness in your legs

• numbness

• loss of bladder or bowel control

Find out about cancer that has spread to the bone

Symptoms if lung cancer has spread to the adrenal glands

The adrenal glands are small glands just above the kidney.

Cancer that has spread to the adrenal glands doesn’t usually cause any symptoms.

The adrenal glands produce hormones and if cancer has spread to both adrenal glands you might have low levels of adrenal hormones. This might cause:

• loss of appetite

• weight loss

• nausea

• tummy (abdominal) pain

• weakness

• changes to substances in your blood

Other rare symptoms

Some people have swollen fingers and nails, and pain and swelling in their joints. This condition is called hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA).

Find out about HPOA