Lung Cancer Diagnosis
A doctor can give a lung cancer diagnosis after seeing the results of multiple tests, including imaging scans, sputum cytology and tissue sampling. The presence of specific symptoms, such as persistent coughing, breathlessness, wheezing and coughing up blood, are clues to both the patient and the doctor that lung cancer is among the possible diagnoses. These symptoms general prompt the process for these diagnostic tests to be given.
A lung cancer diagnosis may occur after a patient notices symptoms and goes to the doctor for a screening. It also may occur inadvertently when doctors are testing for other things and discover cancer cells or a tumor. Between 5 and 10 percent of lung cancer patients show no symptoms at the time of diagnosis.
More than 226,000 cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2012. At the time the cancer is discovered, specialists will want to pinpoint the she stage of disease. Staging plays an important role in the patient's prognosis. For example, when patients are diagnosed early with Stage I lung cancer, the average 10-year survival rate is about 88 percent.
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Tests for Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Doctors can order a variety of tests to search for or confirm a lung cancer diagnosis, but the primary diagnostic tools used for lung cancer typically fall into one of three categories: imaging tests, sputum cytology and tissue sampling.
Imaging Tests
Multiple imaging tests are available. The most common imaging scans for diagnosing lung cancer include X-rays, tomography scans, MRI scans and PET scans.
Chest X-ray
- is one of the more common tests that doctors perform when attempting to diagnose this disease. This test is performed by an X-ray technician, during which you stand in front of a machine and hold your breath as a small dose of radiation helps capture multiple views of your lungs and body.
Computed Tomography Scan
- also known as a CT scan, is a powerful diagnostic tool. It basically uses an X-Ray to create multiple cross-sectional images of selected portions of the body. Through a computer, these images are able to produce detailed and visual renditions of your lung and evidence of existing cancer.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan
- or an MRI scan, utilizes radio waves, instead of X-rays, to further produce detailed images of the tissue in your body, exposing the existence of lung cancer.
Positron Emission Tomography Scan
- also known as a PET scan, requires the insertion of a radioactive glucose agent into the body. Because cancerous cells absorb glucose more rapidly than normal healthy cells, doctors can easily distinguish hot spots for cancer. Researchers have discovered that utilizing both the PET and CT scans, in a combined effort known as PET/CT Fusion scan, produces a more effective result than other imaging tests by themselves.
Tissue Sampling
Examining a tissue sample, also known as a biopsy, involves multiple testing methods that can be used to perform a lung cancer diagnosis. Biopsies test whether areas of tissue are cancerous. Once the tissue sample is retrieved, doctors analyze the cells under a microspore. Some of the most common biopsies are fine-needle aspiration, bronchoscopy, ultrasound and thoracentesis.
Fine Needle Aspiration -
or FNA, is one tissue sampling method that involves inserting a thin needle into lung tissue to remove a sample to be evaluated. This diagnostic method should be used with caution. Researchers discovered in 2000 a potential link between the use of FNA and the spread of malignant cells through the needle surface.
Bronchoscopy -
a bronchoscopy is a diagnostic test that uses a camera-containing flexible tool to investigate tissue samples in the lungs. This device is passed through the mouth or nose, then through the airways, and allows the doctor to direct the location of where the sample will be taken.
Endobronchial ultrasound -
An endobronchial ultrasound is a relatively new test that is performed with a bronchoscopy. An ultrasound probe is used to disburse sound waves through the lungs. If unique areas are discovered, a doctor can then use this ultrasound to guide a needle to take a tissue sample, which can be sent to a lab to be investigated for cancer.
Thoracentesis -
Doctors may also use a procedure known as thoracentesis to diagnose lung cancer. Thoracentesis involves using a small needle to remove fluid from the area between the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura, and the wall of the chest. This test allows doctors to determine whether there is excess fluid in that area, in addition to learning if cancer was the cause.
Thorascopy -
Performed in a very contrasting manner, doctors may also reach a diagnosis by using an endoscope to visually view the lungs. This process, known as a thorascopy, uses a small optic instrument that likely contains a camera. With this process, doctors can clearly collect tissue samples which can then be properly examined.
Sputum Cytology
Doctors also have the option to perform sputum cytology, which involves sampling mucus under a microscope to discover the presence of abnormal or cancerous cells. Sputum is the material that is naturally produced by the lungs and in your airways. No preparation is required and the sputum cytology can be performed by a patient by forcefully coughing in a container or through a bronchoscopy, which will then be analyzed further.
Advancements in Lung Cancer Diagnostic Testing
Advanced diagnostic tools present new opportunities for doctors to find and mitigate cancer with more effective, less dangerous and less invasive procedures. For example, a California-based company has developed a tool that allows people to breathe into a device that will detect the presence of cancer, simply from your breath. Specific biomarkers are contained in the human breath that provides data that the company is trying to turn into actionable information.
In the future, this may allow doctors to determine the presence of cancer, whether additional tests are necessary, and specifically what type of cancer it is. Similar tests are being conducted on urine and blood for potential future products.
And a Minnesota-based company developed a bronchoscopy navigational device, which allows for the diagnosis cancerous lesions found deeper in the lungs. The device makes for a less-invasive, lower-risk procedure.
After a Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Lung cancer typically has one of three causes – smoking, exposure to radon or exposure to asbestos. Honestly communicating your health and lifestyle habits to your doctor, in addition to any occupational risks, can only help your physician pinpoint a diagnosis.
If you are diagnosed with lung cancer, you can expect to consider include three standard treatments: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The earlier the diagnosis, more treatment options you will have.
Speak to your doctor about what the best treatment options may be for you. Make sure that your doctor understands all of your health background, relevant occupational hazards, family medical history, or anything else that may better allow your doctor to provide the best treatment options for you.
To learn more about what foods you should be consuming while undergoing cancer treatment, fill out the form on this page. You will receive a free book that provides diet details and facts that will help you during this difficult time in your life. Most importantly, stay optimistic. Positive thinking has been attributed to the success stories of other cancer patients.
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Last Modified Friday, April 27th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
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