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Top / Mon, 03 Aug 2026 hindustantimes.com

Persistent cough, chest pain, or breathlessness? Pulmonologist explains when these could signal lung cancer

Cough is one of the most common reasons people visit a doctor. Dr Apar Jindal, director, pulmonology and transplant physician, Max Smart Hospital, Saket, shared warning signs of lung cancer. ​Also read | Oncoplastic surgeon shares why breast cancer is rising among younger women and the early signs we often overlookEarly signs of lung cancer Dr Apar Jindal highlighted that lung cancer often begins quietly. “A cough that lasts for more than three weeks, changes in nature, or is associated with blood-stained sputum should never be ignored,” said Dr Jindal. It is usually indicative of chronic conditions such as Tuberculosis, lung cancer, or other chronic lung diseases like Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).

Cough is one of the most common reasons people visit a doctor. Most coughs are harmless and settle within a few days or weeks. But what if the cough refuses to go away? Could it be a warning sign of something more serious? Dr Apar Jindal, director, pulmonology and transplant physician, Max Smart Hospital, Saket, shared warning signs of lung cancer.

​Also read | Oncoplastic surgeon shares why breast cancer is rising among younger women and the early signs we often overlook

Early signs of lung cancer Dr Apar Jindal highlighted that lung cancer often begins quietly. In its early stages, it may cause no symptoms at all, or only a mild cough that is easily mistaken for a lingering infection or the effects of smoking, or, at best, an allergy. Unfortunately, this is one of the reasons many patients are diagnosed only after the disease has advanced.

“A cough that lasts for more than three weeks, changes in nature, or is associated with blood-stained sputum should never be ignored,” said Dr Jindal. It is usually indicative of chronic conditions such as Tuberculosis, lung cancer, or other chronic lung diseases like Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).

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