Individuals who have lung cancer frequently experience these symptoms:

• Cough (persistent, dry)
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest pain
• Hemoptysis (bloody, coughed-up sputum)
• Anorexia and weight loss
• Frequent pneumonias

Other symptoms that are associated with advanced lung cancer include:

• Fatigue
• Chills
• Swallowing difficulties
• Speech difficulties or changes (e.g., hoarseness)
• Clubbing of the finger tips
• Skin paleness or bluish discoloration
• Muscle contractions or atrophy (shrinkage)
• Joint pain
• Facial swelling or paralysis
• Eyelid drooping
• Bone pain
• Gynomastia

• Physical exam: A thorough physical examination with attention to the chest and thoracic lymph nodes and sputum sample. If sputum analysis does not provide a definite diagnosis, biopsy is required.
• Chest X-ray
• CT scan of the chest
• MRI of the chest
• MRI of the chest
• Bronchoscopy: To obtain washings of the respiratory tissues. If the bronchoscopy is negative, proceed to a needle biopsy.
• Needle biopsy: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) uses a slim, hollow needle that is attached to a syringe. Large needle or core biopsy uses a larger needle. Mediastinoscopy. Used to rule out metastatic disease and sample mediastinal nodes.
• Tumor markers
• PTH (parathyroid hormone)
• CEA (carcinogenic antigen). A CEA level greater than 50 may indicates advanced diseases.
• CYFRA21-1 (cytokeratin fragment 19)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes three histologies:

• Epidermoid or squamous carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma
• Large cell carcinoma

• Knowledge deficit r/t lung cancer
• Anxiety
• Pain
• Impaired gas exchange
• Impaired tissue integrity
• Ineffective airway clearance
• Anticipatory grieving
• Risk for fluid volume excess