Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Signs, Symptoms, and Early Detection

11/11/2025

Your lungs are vital organs that keep you alive by helping you breathe. It takes in oxygen and removes carbon dioxide about 12 to 20 times every minute. However, many factors, such as air pollution, smoking, indoor pollutants, and occupational exposure, are affecting people's lungs and putting them at risk of lung diseases, including lung cancer. 

In India, the burden of lung cancer is rising sharply, with cases expected to grow from over 63,000 in 2015 to more than 81,000 by 2025. That’s why this Lung Cancer Awareness Month reminds you to take a moment to care for your lungs by quitting smoking, avoiding polluted environments, and pushing governments for better environmental schemes. Additionally, get regular checkups if you experience persistent cough, breathlessness, or chest pain because early detection is the key to keeping the lungs functioning and healthy.

Read Also: How Your Habit of Smoking is Slowly Killing Your Lungs

What is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Lung Cancer Awareness Month, observed every November. It is celebrated to raise public knowledge about lung cancer, its causes, symptoms, and prevention. 

This Lung Cancer Awareness Month is very important, as it offers the following advantages.

1. Spread knowledge about lung cancer

This day educates people about lung cancer about the causes, symptoms, and prevention. This encourages individuals to make healthier choices and take early action.

2. Encourages early detection

It urges high-risk individuals to get screened early. This improves the chances of catching lung cancer beforehand when treatment is most effective.

The success rate of cancer treatment, including lung cancer, is significantly higher when the cancer is detected early.

3. Eliminates stigma

It makes efforts to eradicate discrimination against lung cancer patients by promoting understanding and compassion.

4. Provides support to patients & families

Creates community support networks for lung cancer patients, offering them much-needed hope and assistance.

5. Attracts research funding

Increases public and private support for new lung treatments for better and personalized care strategies.

6. Promotes a lung-healthy lifestyle

It encourages people to take up good lifestyle habits, such as quitting smoking and reducing exposure to harmful pollutants. This reduces the risk of lung cancer.

7. Unifies global efforts

This day gathers all the stakeholders, healthcare providers, the environmental ministry, advocates, and communities worldwide. This helps fight lung cancer with shared knowledge and resources.

Read Also: Breaking Barriers In Cancer Treatment: Innovations In Oncology

History of Lung Cancer Awareness Month

The 2025 Lung Cancer Awareness Month is “Stronger Together: United for Lung Cancer Awareness.”

This theme emphasizes:

• collective action and community support to increase awareness
• encourage early diagnosis and detection
• improve lung cancer outcomes globally

Read Also: Advanced Cancer Care At ETIC, Eternal Hospital: Precision Medicine With Dr. Amit Verma

How I Know The Signs & Symptoms of Lung Cancer

The signs and symptoms may vary, but some general signs and symptoms that one can experience are:

1. Persistent cough

This can occur as a tumor causes irritation to the airways, making coughs frequent or worse.

2. Coughing up blood

Tumor attacks lung blood vessels, leading to blood in phlegm.

3. Chest pain

Tumor presses on the chest wall or nerves, triggering pain. This worsens with breathing or coughing.

4. Shortness of breath

Tumor may cause airway blockage or fluid accumulation. This decreases oxygen flow, causing shortness of breath.

5. Wheezing

Narrowed airways because of the tumor lead to noisy breathing.

6. Hoarseness

Tumor damages nerves controlling vocal cords, thus changing voice to hoarseness.

7. Unexplained weight loss

Cancer cells utilize body energy and affect metabolism. This can lead to unexplained weight loss.

8. Fatigue

The uncontrolled cancer cell growth drains body's energy and causes weakness.

9. Recurring infections

Tumor blocks airways, thus increasing the risk of lung infections such as pneumonia.

10. Bone pain

If cancer spreads to bones, it can trigger pain in affected areas.

11. Headaches or neurological issues

If cancer spreads to the brain, this affects nerves, causing unexplained headaches or weakness.

12. Swelling in face or neck

Tumor compresses large veins, thus blocking blood flow, followed by swelling.

Note: This article is for general information. Every individual is different; thus, they can experience different symptoms. In case of unusual symptoms, consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and follow their doctor’s advice.

Read Also: How Immunotherapy Works: Boosting The Immune System To Fight Cancer

What To Do For Lung Cancer Awareness Month?

You can do the following to celebrate the month:

1. Participate in or organize awareness campaigns like marathons, walkathons, or community events.
2. Share educational materials and facts on your social media to eliminate myths about lung cancer.
3. Host fundraisers to contribute to lung cancer research and patient care services.
4. Encourage your friends and family members to quit smoking and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
5. You can show your support for the patients by sending messages of hope and volunteering.
6. You can join support groups to contribute to the cause.
7. Encourage lung cancer screening for high-risk individuals, like smokers or older adults.
8. Attend or organize educational webinars and workshops to spread information about new facts and research about lung cancer treatments.

Lung Cancer Facts I Should Know

Here are the top 5 facts about lung cancer that you need to be aware of:

1. Around 1 in 16 men and 1 in 17 women may develop lung cancer in their lifetime, especially those who smoke or have smoked before.
2. It is responsible for about 1 in every 5 cancer deaths, higher than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.
3. There are 2 main types of non-small cell, which is more common, and small cell, which tends to spread faster.
4. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, and the number of cases is continuously rising.
5. While smoking is the biggest risk factor, even non-smokers can get lung cancer because of pollution, genetics, or harmful exposures.

Good to Know

It has been observed that lung cancer detection early has a higher five-year survival rate (approximately 60%, sometimes up to 64%) when compared to advanced-stage disease (as low as around 5-18%)

To Summarize

Do not ignore your lungs, as they play a crucial role in supporting essential bodily functions, including blood circulation, acid-base balance, filtering out harmful particles, and supporting the vocal cords to vibrate and produce sound.  Hence, adopt the following 8 tips for healthy lungs:

 

• Avoid smoking and Secondhand smoke
• Keep yourself hydrated
• Exercise regularly
• Get annual checkups because early detection has benefits like
  • Increased Survival Rates
  • Range of Treatment Options Available
  • Help Achieve Better Quality of Life
  • Reduced Financial Burden
  • Lower Mortality
• Avoid outdoor air pollution exposure
• Improve indoor air quality
• Get screened for lung cancer
• Stay up-to-date with vaccination