Cough is a common symptom among lung cancer patients. A study found that cough occurs in 57% of lung cancer patients, half of these patients think that cough needs to be treated, and 23% of them feel that cough is accompanied by pain. Lung cancer treatment can also cause cough, such as radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. Excluding the cough caused by these treatments, what should be done for the cough caused by lung cancer itself? When is medication needed? The management of cough symptoms in lung cancer patients depends on the treatment of cancer, the management of comorbidities and cough suppressant treatment. Cough caused by cancer as well as non-cancer may include the following causes: infiltration or obstruction of tumor, pleural or pericardial effusion, pulmonary atelectasis, infection, gastroesophageal reflux disease, pulmonary embolism, aggravation of existing COPD or exacerbation of chronic heart failure, superior vena cava compression syndrome, cough induced by radiotherapy or chemotherapy. For cough from these causes, antitumor therapy, pleural fluid drainage, anti-infective or hormonal therapy is required. In addition, it is necessary to distinguish whether the cough is dry or accompanied by coughing sputum, with mucolytic agents for those with sputum, while dry cough is the mainstay of cough attack control. Therefore, before starting treatment for cough, a thorough evaluation of the patient is needed to analyze the possible causes of the cough and to give the corresponding treatment. The comprehensive evaluation should include drug assessment, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors that may cause cough and some chemotherapeutic drugs that cause pulmonary toxicity manifested as cough. The treatment of cough in cancer patients includes non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments, and we will talk to you about pharmacologic treatment of cough below. Which drugs are recommended for cough in adult lung cancer patients? 1.It is recommended to choose cough syrup first, such as various cough syrups containing central cough suppressant effect of forcodine or dextromethorphan. When cough syrup fails to work, it is recommended to choose opioid derivatives, which are currently the most well-documented cough suppressants for lung cancer patients, such as forcodine, dihydrocodeine or morphine. Codeine is not preferentially recommended, such as codeine tablets and codeine marmalade tablets. Oral codeine oryzanol tablets, compound licorice combination; still coughing after 2 weeks …… 3. If opioid derivatives or other central cough suppressants (e.g. dextromethorphan) do not control the cough, oral morphine tablets need to be on the scene. 4. It is recommended to take one dose of forcodine, codeine or morphine at bedtime to effectively relieve cough and improve sleep. 5.When patients have morphine resistant cough, it is recommended to use peripheral cough suppressants, such as: levorphanol piperazine, morgistim, levoclopidine. 6. Of the peripheral cough suppressants, levorphanol piperazine may be equivalent to dihydrocodeine or morgestan and may be more effective than dextromethorphan in relieving cough. 7. When peripheral cough suppressants are also ineffective in opioid-resistant cough, it is recommended to try local anesthetic medications such as lidocaine/bupivacaine or benzonatide.