Cough
A cough can be dry or bring up mucus. It can be tiring and make it hard to sleep.
Why it happens
Lung tumors, infection, fluid around the lungs, and radiation to the chest can cause cough. Immunotherapy and some targeted drugs can inflame the lungs, which is called pneumonitis.
What helps
- Drink plenty of warm fluids to loosen mucus.
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom.
- Try honey in warm tea or water, unless you have diabetes and your care team says to avoid it.
- Sleep with your head raised on extra pillows.
- Avoid smoke and strong fumes.
- Ask before using any cough medicine from the store.
Call your care team right away if you have
- You have a new or worse cough, especially if you get immunotherapy or targeted therapy.
- You cough up blood.
- You have a fever, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
Questions to ask
- Could my cough be from pneumonitis or an infection?
- Which cough medicines are safe for me?
- Do I need a chest scan?
Medicines that can cause this
- Arsenic trioxide
- Brentuximab vedotin
- Brigatinib
- Carfilzomib
- Daratumumab
- Dasatinib
- Decitabine
- Elotuzumab
- Eltrombopag
- Epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa
- Everolimus
- Fludarabine
- Gilteritinib
- Isatuximab
- Ivosidenib
- Larotrectinib
- Lurbinectedin
- Obinutuzumab
- Olaparib
- Pirtobrutinib
- Pomalidomide
- Sotorasib
- Trastuzumab
- Venetoclax
- Zanubrutinib
Sources
Quick answers
- What is cough during cancer treatment?
- A cough can be dry or bring up mucus. It can be tiring and make it hard to sleep.
- Why does cough happen?
- Lung tumors, infection, fluid around the lungs, and radiation to the chest can cause cough. Immunotherapy and some targeted drugs can inflame the lungs, which is called pneumonitis.
- What helps with cough?
- Drink plenty of warm fluids to loosen mucus; Use a humidifier in your bedroom; Try honey in warm tea or water, unless you have diabetes and your care team says to avoid it; Sleep with your head raised on extra pillows; Avoid smoke and strong fumes; Ask before using any cough medicine from the store.
- When should I call my care team about cough?
- You have a new or worse cough, especially if you get immunotherapy or targeted therapy; You cough up blood; You have a fever, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.