Coughing and shortness of breath are clinical symptoms common to many respiratory diseases and are not necessarily associated with lung cancer, so do not be overly alarmed. The most common symptom in the early stages of lung cancer is an irritating dry cough and chest pain when the cancer invades adjacent organs and tissues. In addition, some lung cancer patients may experience shortness of breath, haemoptysis, blood in the sputum and hoarseness of voice.