You may not notice any symptoms of lung cancer. Many people don’t. The first sign of the disease often is found during tests for a different medical condition. An abnormal (problem) spot is found on a chest x-ray or a CT scan.

Symptoms may include:

• Losing weight without trying
• Bone or joint pain
• Headaches
• Dizziness

If you have these symptoms, most likely you will have more tests. This can lead to a possible lung cancer diagnosis.

Other general symptoms may include:

• Dry cough that does not go away
• Coughing up blood
• New shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Fatigue (very tired)

Lung cancer symptoms mostly are the same in men and women. However, there are slight differences between men and women in the type of lung cancer they develop.

Lung cancer symptoms in men

Men are more likely than women to have squamous cell carcinoma, which is linked to smoking. They are more likely to have a cough that will not go away, or to cough up mucus, phlegm, or blood. 

Lung cancer symptoms in women

Symptoms of lung cancer in women mostly are the same as those in men. However, women are more likely than men to have lung adenocarcinomas than other lung cancer types. This type of lung cancer is not linked to smoking.

For both men and women, many other conditions can cause symptoms like these. Talk with your doctor to help you find out what is causing your symptoms.