Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsAdditional ChangesFinal DaysTips for Caregivers
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Additional Changes
Final Days
Tips for Caregivers
Although everyone’s experience is different, there are some typical stage 4 lung cancer symptoms that may indicate a person is near to dying, including:
People’s needs may also vary. Some need oxygen, for instance, while others don’t. It can be hard to think about what to expect at the end of life with lung cancer. But knowing the signs can help you prepare yourself or a loved one for the final stages of this challenging disease.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Symptoms of Stage 4 Lung Cancer
The signs and symptoms that develop during the final stages of lung cancer are a result of the lung tumor, the cancer’s spread to other parts of the body, or the end stages of cancer in general.
Some common signs and symptoms of stage 4 lung cancer include:
Inlate-stagelung cancer, it’s not unusual for people to seem lost in thought, begin to sleep a lot, or “have one foot in the next world.” They also may be frustrated and irritable over fatigue and other limitations that mean they need more help.
What Is End Stage Lung Cancer?By definition, the final stage of lung cancer means there are no more treatment options, and a cure is not possible. However,palliative treatments, used to ease symptoms or improve comfort, may still be used. If you are enrolled in hospice, you may be given ahospice comfort kitwith supplies that can help.
What Is End Stage Lung Cancer?
By definition, the final stage of lung cancer means there are no more treatment options, and a cure is not possible. However,palliative treatments, used to ease symptoms or improve comfort, may still be used. If you are enrolled in hospice, you may be given ahospice comfort kitwith supplies that can help.
Additional End-of-Life Changes
There’s no single roadmap, but many families can tell when things “start to change.” Some of these changes are nearly universal, no matter what condition a person dies from.
In addition to physical changes, here’s a look at some other things you may see:
Final Days With Stage 4 Lung Cancer
Many researchers now believe that dying is an active process the body is designed to go through.During the final days, your loved one may begin a phase known as “active dying.”
Signs and symptoms of this phase may include:
Final Moments
As dying continues, all breathing stops, and the heart stops beating. Some say they know the exact moment or “feel” when a loved one has left them. Others find comfort in staying near their loved one’s body as it becomes cooler and find it easier to let go after that.
Caring for a dying loved onecan, at the same time, be the most challenging and even most rewarding thing you have ever done. That said, there are some things you can do to help with this process, including:
Summary
With stage 4 lung cancer, there are signs and symptoms along the road that point to its end. Some of these include pleural effusions, pain, severe fatigue, and more. Dying is a natural process, but it’s also a profound mystery in the human experience, and no two deaths are ever truly the same. Nonetheless, there are some common steps as you navigate the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes that come when lung cancer patients die. It helps to know that a range of support is available if you need it.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Keshishyan S, Harris K.Asymptomatic malignant pleural effusion: to observe or to manage.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1146–S1147. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.06.52Mudambi L, Miller R, Eapen GA.Malignant central airway obstruction.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1087–S1110. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.07.27Fernandes AW, Wu B, Turner RM.Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: symptom and economic burden.J Med Econ. 2017;20(11):1136-1147. doi:10.1080/13696998.2017.1361960El Majzoub I, Abunafeesa H, Cheaito R, Ali Cheaito M, Elsayem AF.Management of altered mental status and delirium in cancer patients.Ann Palliat Med. 2019;8(5):728-739. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.09.14White N, Reid F, Vickerstaff V, et al.Imminent death: clinician certainty and accuracy of prognostic predictions.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. May 2019. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001761Giannoni A, Gentile F, Navari A, et al.Contribution of the lung to the genesis of cheyne‐stokes respiration in heart failure: plant gain beyond chemoreflex gain and circulation time.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(13):e012419. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.012419American Cancer Society.End of life care.Additional ReadingBylicki O, Didier M, Riviere F, et al.Lung cancer and end-of-life care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of aggressive inpatient care.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2019;9(4):413-424. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001770
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Keshishyan S, Harris K.Asymptomatic malignant pleural effusion: to observe or to manage.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1146–S1147. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.06.52Mudambi L, Miller R, Eapen GA.Malignant central airway obstruction.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1087–S1110. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.07.27Fernandes AW, Wu B, Turner RM.Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: symptom and economic burden.J Med Econ. 2017;20(11):1136-1147. doi:10.1080/13696998.2017.1361960El Majzoub I, Abunafeesa H, Cheaito R, Ali Cheaito M, Elsayem AF.Management of altered mental status and delirium in cancer patients.Ann Palliat Med. 2019;8(5):728-739. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.09.14White N, Reid F, Vickerstaff V, et al.Imminent death: clinician certainty and accuracy of prognostic predictions.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. May 2019. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001761Giannoni A, Gentile F, Navari A, et al.Contribution of the lung to the genesis of cheyne‐stokes respiration in heart failure: plant gain beyond chemoreflex gain and circulation time.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(13):e012419. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.012419American Cancer Society.End of life care.Additional ReadingBylicki O, Didier M, Riviere F, et al.Lung cancer and end-of-life care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of aggressive inpatient care.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2019;9(4):413-424. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001770
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Keshishyan S, Harris K.Asymptomatic malignant pleural effusion: to observe or to manage.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1146–S1147. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.06.52Mudambi L, Miller R, Eapen GA.Malignant central airway obstruction.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1087–S1110. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.07.27Fernandes AW, Wu B, Turner RM.Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: symptom and economic burden.J Med Econ. 2017;20(11):1136-1147. doi:10.1080/13696998.2017.1361960El Majzoub I, Abunafeesa H, Cheaito R, Ali Cheaito M, Elsayem AF.Management of altered mental status and delirium in cancer patients.Ann Palliat Med. 2019;8(5):728-739. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.09.14White N, Reid F, Vickerstaff V, et al.Imminent death: clinician certainty and accuracy of prognostic predictions.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. May 2019. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001761Giannoni A, Gentile F, Navari A, et al.Contribution of the lung to the genesis of cheyne‐stokes respiration in heart failure: plant gain beyond chemoreflex gain and circulation time.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(13):e012419. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.012419American Cancer Society.End of life care.
Keshishyan S, Harris K.Asymptomatic malignant pleural effusion: to observe or to manage.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1146–S1147. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.06.52
Mudambi L, Miller R, Eapen GA.Malignant central airway obstruction.J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(Suppl 10):S1087–S1110. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.07.27
Fernandes AW, Wu B, Turner RM.Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients on epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: symptom and economic burden.J Med Econ. 2017;20(11):1136-1147. doi:10.1080/13696998.2017.1361960
El Majzoub I, Abunafeesa H, Cheaito R, Ali Cheaito M, Elsayem AF.Management of altered mental status and delirium in cancer patients.Ann Palliat Med. 2019;8(5):728-739. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.09.14
White N, Reid F, Vickerstaff V, et al.Imminent death: clinician certainty and accuracy of prognostic predictions.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. May 2019. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001761
Giannoni A, Gentile F, Navari A, et al.Contribution of the lung to the genesis of cheyne‐stokes respiration in heart failure: plant gain beyond chemoreflex gain and circulation time.J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(13):e012419. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.012419
American Cancer Society.End of life care.
Bylicki O, Didier M, Riviere F, et al.Lung cancer and end-of-life care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of aggressive inpatient care.BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2019;9(4):413-424. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001770
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