Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
Health Lav89 - Diagnosis of Lung Cancer. Your doctor may suspect that you have lung cancer if the results of a routine physical exam reveal:
Lung cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, such as bone, liver, adrenal gland, or brain. After lung cancer begins to cause symptoms, usually an abnormal lung image can be seen on X-rays.
Sometimes, lung cancer that has not started causing symptoms can appear on an X-ray image of the chest when taken for other purposes, for example for a health test only. The CT Scan chest may be suggested to get more detailed results.
Although laboratory tests of mucus or pulmonary fluid may reveal completely, the diagnosis of lung cancer usually needs to be confirmed through lung biopsy. This test is performed with a mild anesthetic, in which the doctor guides a thin, glowing tube through the nose and down into the air passage to the location of the tumor, where small tissue samples can be taken. This is useful for tumors located near the center of the lungs.
If the biopsy confirms lung cancer, other tests will determine the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Nearby lymph nodes can be tested for cancer cells by a procedure called mediastinoscopy, while imaging techniques such as CT Scan, PET Scan, bone scan, MRI or brain CT scan can detect whether the cancer is lodged elsewhere.
- Swollen lymph nodes above the groin bone.
- Weak breathing.
- Abnormal sound in the lungs (when examined with a stethoscope).
- Uneven pupils.
- eyelids fall.
- Weakness in one arm.
- The veins widen in the arms, chest, or neck.
- Swelling of the face.
Lung cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, such as bone, liver, adrenal gland, or brain. After lung cancer begins to cause symptoms, usually an abnormal lung image can be seen on X-rays.
Sometimes, lung cancer that has not started causing symptoms can appear on an X-ray image of the chest when taken for other purposes, for example for a health test only. The CT Scan chest may be suggested to get more detailed results.
Although laboratory tests of mucus or pulmonary fluid may reveal completely, the diagnosis of lung cancer usually needs to be confirmed through lung biopsy. This test is performed with a mild anesthetic, in which the doctor guides a thin, glowing tube through the nose and down into the air passage to the location of the tumor, where small tissue samples can be taken. This is useful for tumors located near the center of the lungs.
If the biopsy confirms lung cancer, other tests will determine the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Nearby lymph nodes can be tested for cancer cells by a procedure called mediastinoscopy, while imaging techniques such as CT Scan, PET Scan, bone scan, MRI or brain CT scan can detect whether the cancer is lodged elsewhere.
