Lung Cancer

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if you:

• Have new or sudden onset of chest pain that is crushing or squeezing, is increasing in intensity, or occurs with any other Reference symptoms of a heart attack Opens New Window, such as shortness of breath and nausea.
• Have new or sudden Reference difficulty breathing Opens New Window.
• Are coughing up a lot of blood (not just streaks of blood or a small amount of blood mixed with a lot of mucus) from your lungs.
• Have been vomiting and feel that you may pass out when you sit up or stand.

Call your doctor immediately if you have:

• Labored, shallow, rapid breathing with shortness of breath or Reference wheezing Opens New Window, even when you are resting.
• Swelling of your neck and face.

Call your doctor to find out when an evaluation is needed if you:

• Have new chest pain (more than just discomfort when you cough) that lasts a long time and gets worse when you breathe deeply.
• Develop symptoms of pneumonia, such as shortness of breath, cough, and fever.
• Have a cough that produces a small amount of bloody (bright red or rust-colored) mucus.
• Frequently cough up yellow or green mucus from your lungs (not postnasal drainage) for longer than 2 days.
• Vomit frequently from coughing.
• Have a cough that lasts longer than 4 weeks.
• Breathe normally when you are at rest but are very short of breath after any physical exercise.
• Have increasing fatigue for no apparent reason.
• Have unexplained weight loss.

Who to see

Health professionals who can evaluate your symptoms and your risk for lung cancer include:

• Reference Family medicine doctor Opens New Window.
• Reference General practitioner Opens New Window.
• Reference Internist Opens New Window.
• Reference Nurse practitioner Opens New Window.
• Reference Physician assistant Opens New Window.
• Reference Pulmonologist Opens New Window.

Health professionals who can evaluate and treat your lung cancer include:

• Reference Pulmonologist Opens New Window.
• Reference Medical oncologist Opens New Window.
• Reference Thoracic surgeon Opens New Window.
• Reference Radiation oncologist Opens New Window.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Reference Making the Most of Your Appointment.

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