How is Lung Cancer Diagnosed?
If your physician suspects lung cancer, he or she may recommend some diagnostic
tests. The exams and tests conducted may vary depending on the symptoms.
First, your doctor may order a chest X-ray and other tests. If lung cancer
is suspected, your physician may order a sputum cytology, which examines
mucus. This is a simple test that may be useful in detecting lung cancer.
To confirm the presence of lung cancer, your physician must perform a biopsy,
which is the removal of a small sample of tissue for examination under a
microscope by a pathologist. Several different types of procedures may be
used to get this tissue:
Bronchoscopy – your physician puts a bronchoscope
(a thin, lighted tube) into the mouth or nose and down through the windpipe
to look into the breathing passages. Through this tube, your physician can
collect cells or small samples of tissue.
Needle aspiration – a needle is inserted through
the chest into the tumor to remove a sample of tissue.
Thoracentesis – using a needle, your physician
removes a sample of the fluid that surrounds the lungs to check for cancer
cells.
Thoracotomy – surgery to open the chest is sometimes
needed to diagnose lung cancer. This procedure is a major operation performed
in a hospital.
If Cancer is Detected
If cancer is found, it then will be classified by a stage, which is the
extent of your condition. Staging is designed to carefully determine
whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing
the stage of your cancer helps determine your treatment plan.