Cough is a distressing symptom that left uncontrolled can result in fatigue, insomnia and musculoskeletal pain. There is limited evidence of one intervention being more effective than another and a multi-faceted approach to the management of cough is required (Wee et al., 2012). Cough can be associated with haemoptysis or the expectoration of blood.

Cough is a presenting symptom in 65% of patients with lung cancer and has been found to be present in 50–90% of patients with advanced cancer. Mild haemoptysis occurs in 20% of patients with lung cancer at some stage during their illness (Dudgeon, 2010).