ABSTRACT
This chapter describes about the medical conditions of cough and haemoptysis. Cough serves to clear the airways of foreign materials or excessive secretions. It is a common symptom that affects about half of all cancer patients and around 80% of lung cancer patients. Cough is the result of chemical or mechanical stimulation of receptors in the respiratory tract with nerve impulses carried to the respiratory muscles and the medulla. Cough can be divided into two subgroups: dry cough and productive cough. If the patient is terminally ill or the aim is not to aid the expectoration of sputum, blocking the cough receptors in the bronchioles and the carina may be more appropriate. If coughing stimulates the haemoptysis, then the doctor must consider the use of a cough suppressant to the patients. It is prudent to sensitively warn relatives about the possibility of a sudden massive haemoptysis.
