A Cough That Won't Go Away

This page is for anyone with a cough or hoarse voice that will not go away. It explains when a lasting cough is worth checking, which cancers can cause one, and what a doctor looks for.

Almost everyone coughs sometimes. Coughs have many causes, and cancer is not the usual one. A cough that lasts, or hoarseness that will not go away, can be a warning sign worth checking. It can point to lung, throat, or voice-box cancer.

MedlinePlus says a cough from a cold or flu usually lasts no more than 2 to 3 weeks. A cough that lasts longer is called chronic. NCI says to check with your doctor about a cough that does not go away or gets worse over time. NCI also lists these signs of lung cancer: chest discomfort or pain, trouble breathing, wheezing, blood in the mucus you cough up, hoarseness, weight loss for no known reason, and fatigue. These signs can be caused by lung cancer or by other conditions.

NCI says signs of non-small cell lung cancer include coughing and shortness of breath. ACS says hoarseness or other voice changes that do not improve within 2 weeks should be seen by a health care provider right away. ACS lists this as a sign of cancer of the throat or voice box, called the larynx. Smoking is the major risk factor for lung cancer, NCI says.

MedlinePlus says to contact your provider any time you cough up blood, even if you have no other symptoms. Lung cancer is one of many causes. Others include infections and bronchitis. Do not wait and see.

MedlinePlus lists causes of a chronic cough. They include chronic bronchitis, asthma, allergies, COPD, acid reflux (GERD) and smoking. Cancer is not the usual cause. But a cough that will not go away still needs a visit.

Your doctor asks how long the cough has lasted, whether anything is coughed up, and about your smoking history. MedlinePlus lists tests that may be done for a cough with blood. They include a chest x-ray, a chest CT scan, and bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy is a test to view the airways. If a biopsy is taken, NCI says the pathologist typically sends the report to your doctor within 10 days.

If your cough continues after a test, go back to your doctor. Ask what should be checked next, and whether a CT scan makes sense for you, especially if you smoke or have smoked.

• Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you cough up more than a streak of blood. MedlinePlus says to get medical help right away for a cough that brings up more than a few teaspoons of blood, or blood with chest pain, dizziness, fever or severe shortness of breath. Also call 911 if you are suddenly short of breath or have chest pain that makes it hard to finish a sentence. Do not drive yourself.
• Call your care team right away if there is any blood at all in what you bring up, even one streak in the mucus. If you are on chemotherapy or have low white blood cells, also call right away, day or night, for a temperature of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, chills, a new sore throat, or any other sign of infection. A normal temperature is not permission to wait.
• Call your care team right away if a hoarse voice has not improved within 2 weeks. ACS says to see a provider right away for this.
• Call your care team within a day or two if a cough has lasted more than 2 to 3 weeks or keeps getting worse.

• Should my lasting cough be evaluated with a chest scan?
• Could this be caused by something other than cancer?
• Given my smoking history, am I at higher risk?
• What symptoms should prompt an urgent visit?

• National Cancer Institute — Symptoms of Cancer
• National Cancer Institute — Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ)
• MedlinePlus — Cough
• MedlinePlus — Coughing up blood
• American Cancer Society — Signs and Symptoms of Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer
• National Cancer Institute — Pathology Reports
• CDC — Watch Out for Fever