How is lung cancer diagnosed?

Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors and falls under respiratory system diseases. The gold standard for the diagnosis of malignant tumors is biopsy. Thus, lung cancer is no exception; it requires a biopsy and immunohistochemistry to determine the type of cancer and its pathological type. So how is the biopsy obtained? We can use a bronchoscope to directly observe the tumor and collect small tissue samples for pathological examination. Additionally, there is the thoracic wall lung puncture biopsy, where tissue from the tumor can be sampled using a fine needle. These samples are observed under a microscope to differentiate the pathological types and to further confirm the diagnosis.

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Written by Han Shun Li
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Is coughing up blood lung cancer?

Patients with lung cancer can experience hemoptysis, but the occurrence of hemoptysis does not necessarily mean that it is caused by lung cancer. Although hemoptysis is a symptom of lung cancer, there are many other diseases that can cause it as well, such as tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung abscess, various pneumonias, certain heart diseases, blood disorders, etc. Therefore, it can only be said that hemoptysis may be an indication of lung cancer, not that hemoptysis confirms the presence of lung cancer.

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Written by Gong Chun
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How is lung cancer detected?

For lung cancer detection, it is recommended for individuals over forty, especially smokers, to undergo a low-dose spiral CT for screening. Secondly, if someone has been a long-term heavy smoker and has undergone chest X-rays and low-dose spiral CT and a lung mass is found, it is suggested that the patient undergo a contrast-enhanced CT or a PET-CT to determine the condition and location of the lung mass. After establishing the condition and location, a sputum cytology test can be conducted. Thirdly, to confirm whether it is lung cancer, one should undergo bronchoscopy to obtain a biopsy, or a transthoracic lung puncture biopsy, or examine live tissue or metastatic lesions, or perform a pleural fluid examination to detect the cancer cells and determine the specific type of lung cancer to guide treatment. However, if the nature of the lesion cannot be clearly determined through mediastinoscopy, bronchoscopy, chest wall puncture biopsy, or other methods, a thoracotomy exploration is recommended. Additionally, the examination of tumor markers cannot be ignored.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Does early-stage lung cancer cause facial swelling?

Patients with early-stage lung cancer generally do not experience facial swelling. This is because early-stage lung cancers mainly include carcinoma in situ and stage I lung cancer. At this stage, the cancer tissue is confined to the mucosa, without invasion of the surrounding tissues or distant metastasis. Therefore, the clinical symptoms of patients with early-stage lung cancer primarily involve the respiratory system. Clinical symptoms mainly include coughing, often a dry cough without phlegm, or coughing up phlegm with blood, hemoptysis, and massive hemoptysis. Some patients may experience chest pain, or have a barking cough, or a metallic-sounding cough. Some patients may have shortness of breath after physical activity, and severe cases can experience breathing difficulties. In most cases, patients do not exhibit other clinical changes. However, as the disease progresses, and there is invasion into surrounding tissues, or distant metastases occur, symptoms of invasion into surrounding tissues or distant metastatic sites may appear. For example, metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes can cause enlarged lymph nodes, or compression of the superior vena cava by the patient, resulting in swelling of the face and neck.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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How to check for lung cancer?

How to check for lung cancer, firstly, for lung cancer screening, particularly in people over forty years old, especially smokers, it is recommended to regularly undergo low-dose spiral CT scans of the chest. Secondly, if a tumor is detected, it is suggested to proceed with enhanced CT scans, sputum cytology tests, or PET-CT. If it is confirmed that there is a tumor in the lungs, then a biopsy is needed. The biopsy can be performed under bronchoscopy, or transthoracic lung puncture and biopsy of living tissue can also be done, as well as biopsy of metastatic lesions or cytological examination of pleural effusion to diagnose whether it is lung cancer, the type of lung cancer, and certain immunohistochemical situations.

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Is the appetite good in the early stages of lung cancer?

In the early stages of lung cancer, generally, there is no obvious impact on the appetite. Most early-stage lung cancers do not show clinical symptoms. However, some patients may experience coughs or blood-streaked sputum if the tumor grows along the inner wall of the airway, stimulating the respiratory tract. Nevertheless, early-stage lung cancer typically does not metastasize or spread to the digestive tract. Thus, early-stage lung cancer usually does not affect the patient's appetite, and the patient's appetite generally remains unaffected. However, it is crucial to diagnose early-stage lung cancer because surgical removal at this stage can often achieve good results. Once it progresses to mid or late stages, the outcomes are usually poor, and the survival period is typically short. Therefore, it is advocated that people at high risk for lung cancer undergo regular chest CT screenings to check for early-stage lung cancer.