Life with a lung cancer diagnosis can present many challenges. Take some time to adjust to the physical and emotional changes and establish a daily routine that suits you and the symptoms you’re coping with.

Your family and friends may also need time to adjust. Because lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, treatment may be ongoing, and it may be hard to accept that life won’t return to normal. If the cancer was diagnosed at an early stage, you may have mixed feelings when treatment ends, and worry that every ache and pain means the cancer is coming back.

Follow-up appointments

Whether treatment ends or is ongoing, you will have regular appointments to manage any long-term side effects and check that the cancer hasn’t come back or spread. During these check-ups, you will usually have a physical examination and you may have chest x-rays, CT scans and blood tests. You will also be able to discuss how you’re feeling and mention any concerns you may have.

Check-ups after treatment are likely to happen every 3–6 months for the first couple of years and 6–12 months for the following three years. When a follow-up appointment or test is approaching, many people feel anxious. Call Cancer Council on 13 11 20 if you are finding it hard to manage your feelings. 

What if the cancer returns?

For some people, lung cancer does come back after treatment, which is known as a recurrence. Lung cancer is more likely to recur in the first five years after diagnosis. If the cancer returns, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you, which will depend on the type of lung cancer, where the cancer has recurred, and the stage and grade.

Whichever treatment you are given or choose to have, support from palliative care specialists and nurses can help you live with fewer symptoms.

Lillian's story

"Two days after my 34th birthday, I woke up with a sore shoulder and arm. I didn't think too much of it because the pain went away quickly.

After I felt a lump on my left collarbone, I mentioned it to my dad and brother because they're doctors. They said it was probably because I'd had a cough in the past few weeks but to get an ultrasound. After some further scans and tests, it was confirmed to be stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. I was devastated.

When I first tell someone that I have lung cancer, the first thing most people say is did you smoke?  While I think that people have the best intentions and it’s human nature to want to find the cause of a problem, does it really matter whether I had smoked or not? I'm a never-smoker, but if I did smoke, even if it was just one cigarette, should I feel that somehow it's my fault?

I want to reduce the stigma suffered by lung cancer patients and their families who are already going through so much. I use statistics to educate people and raise awareness. I explain that many other lifestyle choices are linked to cancer and that smoking causes other health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and other cancers. I let them know that one in three women diagnosed with lung cancer is a never-smoker such as myself.

A lot of the people I've met with lung cancer say they're guarded about their diagnosis. One carer said she didn't tell anyone for three years that her spouse had lung cancer for fear of being stigmatised.

There needs to be a lot more compassion. I think that taking away the stigma will lead to greater funding for research. I am feeling hopeful about my future. It's important to me to stay in the moment and appreciate what I have."

Tell your cancer story.