A lung cancer diagnosis
Lung cancer diagnosis procedures are used when there is any reason to suspect the presence of the disease. The doctor may have suspected lung cancer because of the symptoms the patient exhibits.
The doctor attempting lung cancer diagnosis will usually look at the patient's medical history, find out whether he is a smoker or was one in the past and also check out the incidence of cancer in the family. Exposure to carcinogens and occupational risks are assessed as well.
The doctor may then do a basic physical exam. He will listen to the patient's chest sounds through a stethoscope and test his breathing capacity. He will also look for enlarged lymph nodes and see if there is any sign of an enlarged liver.
A chest x-ray may be prescribed as a preliminary test. Tumors often show up in chest x-rays as dark areas in the x-ray. The absence of any such areas need not be conclusive, since some tumors may be too small to show up easily. Plus, they may be hidden behind a bone and hence not show up in the x-ray.
Sputum cytology is another lung cancer diagnosis tool. The term sputum refers to the mucus from inside the lungs. To do this test, sputum samples are collected from a deep chough and examined under a microscope. To enhance the reliability of the test, the doctor may ask for sputum samples to be collected on three consecutive mornings.
Lung tissue biopsy is a lung cancer diagnostic method to confirm the presence of cancer. A sample of tissue is obtained from inside the lungs and examined by a pathologist through a microscope. The methods for collecting the sample vary.
One method is to use a bronchoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube that's inserted into the windpipe through the mouth. This tube has a tiny light and camera at the end so that the physician can look at the interior of the lungs. A needle is inserted through the tube to collect tissue samples. The tissue is examined under a microscope to find out if there are signs of cancer.
Needle aspiration is another lung cancer diagnosis method. A needle is inserted directly into the tumor through the chest to collect a sample.
Sometimes a sample of the fluid between the lungs and chest wall is collected using a needle to test for malignancy. This is called thoracentesis.
Alternatively, in thoracoscopy, lung tissue is examined directly by performing chest surgery. This is a major surgical procedure and is done under general anesthesia.
Accurate lung cancer diagnosis is important to determine the presence of the disease. If the disease is ruled out, then the doctor may do further tests to find out what caused the symptoms.
