Lung Cancer Quiz
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Easily tired
Phlegm
Chest pain
Dry cough
Shortness of breath
Chronic cough
Extreme fatigue
Blood in phlegm
Right side chest pain
Hoarse voice
Unexplained weight loss
Difficulty breathing
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the lungs. Over 80% of lung cancers are caused by smoking and secondhand smoke, while other causes include exposure to fine particles like asbestos and genetic factors.
Typical Symptoms of Lung Cancer
- Producing phlegm that contains blood
- Exposure to dust, asbestos, or chemicals at work
- Previous or active smoker
- Cough
- History of lung cancer
- Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing
- Recently diagnosed with an abnormality on an X-ray of the chest
- Unintentional weight loss of more than 5% or 4.4lbs/2kg within one month
Diagnostic Questions for Lung Cancer
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Are you producing phlegm that contains blood?
- Have you been exposed to dust, asbestos, or chemicals at work?
- Do you smoke now or have you smoked before (including e-cigarettes)?
- Do you have a cough?
- Have you ever had lung cancer?
Treatment of Lung Cancer
A specialist will confirm the diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan. Options to remove the cancerous area include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. Newer options such as targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer, can also be considered.
Reviewed By:
Phillip Aguila, MD, MBA (Pulmonology, Critical Care)
Dr. Aguila graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine. He has trained in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Internal Medicine at Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He has served as Assistant Professor since 2010.
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Pulmonology)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Content updated on Nov 22, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
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History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Cough
- Tickly cough
- Cough with phlegm
- Frequent and violent coughing
- Nighttime cough
- Barking cough
- Wake up because of cough
- Started with a cough
- Hacking cough with whistling noise when drawing breath
- Cough worsens in a specific place at work or home
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Productive cough
See full list
Symptoms Related to Lung Cancer
Diseases Related to Lung Cancer
FAQs
Q.
Can pleural effusion come back, and how can recurrence be prevented?
A.
Yes, pleural effusion can come back. To prevent it, doctors might use treatments like pleurodesis or surgery.
References:
Neragi-Miandoab S. (2008). Surgical and other invasive approaches to recurrent .... Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 18259780.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18259780/
Trivedi SB, & Niemeyer M. (2022). Treating Recurrent Pleural Disease: A Review of .... Seminars in interventional radiology, 36062225.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36062225/
Sonoda A, Jeudy J, White CS, Kligerman SJ, Nitta N, Lempel J, & Frazier AA. (2015). Pleurodesis: indications and radiologic appearance. Japanese journal of radiology, 25791777.
Q.
How is pleural effusion treated, and can removing the fluid help breathing?
A.
Pleural effusion is treated by removing the fluid from the chest, which can help improve breathing by allowing the lungs to expand better.
References:
Karkhanis VS, & Joshi JM. (2012). Pleural effusion: diagnosis, treatment, and management. Open access emergency medicine : OAEM, 27147861.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27147861/
Razazi K, Thille AW, Carteaux G, Beji O, Brun-Buisson C, Brochard L, & Mekontso Dessap A. (2014). Effects of pleural effusion drainage on oxygenation .... Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 25079591.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25079591/
Talmor M, Hydo L, Gershenwald JG, & Barie PS. (1998). Beneficial effects of chest tube drainage of pleural effusion .... Surgery, 9481398.
Q.
What conditions can cause pleural effusion in the first place?
A.
Pleural effusion happens when fluid builds up in the space around the lungs. It can be caused by heart failure, infections, cancer, and other conditions.
References:
Jany B, & Welte T. (2019). Pleural Effusion in Adults-Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 31315808.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31315808/
Valdés L, Alvarez D, Valle JM, Pose A, & San José E. (1996). The etiology of pleural effusions in an area with high .... Chest, 8549179.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8549179/
Shen-Wagner J, Gamble C, & MacGilvray P. (2023). Pleural Effusion: Diagnostic Approach in Adults. American family physician, 37983698.
Q.
When should you see a doctor for shortness of breath that might be due to pleural effusion?
A.
If you have trouble breathing and think it might be from fluid around your lungs, see a doctor soon to find out why and get the right treatment.
References:
Lew SQ. (2010). pleural effusion associated with peritoneal dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis international : journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 20056973.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20056973/
Barlascini C, Piroddi MG, Perazzo A, Senarega R, Santo M, & Nicolini A. (2015). report of two cases and a brief review of the literature. Pneumologia (Bucharest, Romania), 26506672.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26506672/
Jung Y, Yi E, Lee S, & Chung JH. (2025). Clinical outcome of urgent thoracoscopic surgery on .... Journal of thoracic disease, 39975742.
Q.
Where does lung cancer tend to metastasize?
A.
Lung cancer often metastasizes to the brain, liver, bones, and adrenal glands.
References:
Riihimäki, Matias, et al. "Metastatic sites and survival in lung cancer." Lung cancer 86.1 (2014): 78-84.
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Rivera GA, Wakelee H. Lung Cancer in Never Smokers. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;893:43-57. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-24223-1_3. PMID: 26667338.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-24223-1_3Hoy H, Lynch T, Beck M. Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2019 Sep;31(3):303-313. doi: 10.1016/j.cnc.2019.05.002. Epub 2019 Jul 5. PMID: 31351552.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899588519300292?via%3DihubRodriguez-Canales J, Parra-Cuentas E, Wistuba II. Diagnosis and Molecular Classification of Lung Cancer. Cancer Treat Res. 2016;170:25-46. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-40389-2_2. PMID: 27535388.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-40389-2_2