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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Will people with lung cancer experience weight loss?

This question should be answered specifically. Some people may initially experience symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue when they start to develop lung cancer. Some people with better physical constitution may not lose weight so easily. However, if a malignant tumor persists in the body for a long time, it will consume the body's nutrients and lead to a state of cachexia, characterized by systemic toxicity symptoms including weight loss, fatigue, fever, and other similar symptoms.

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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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What should I do about dry cough and wheezing caused by lung cancer?

Patients with lung cancer presenting with dry cough and wheezing often require treatment to suppress coughing, alleviate wheezing, and address the symptoms. It is also important to check if the patient has concurrent obstructive pneumonia. Lung cancer combined with obstructive pneumonia can also lead to dry cough and wheezing. In such cases, anti-infection treatment is needed, along with treatment specifically targeting lung cancer itself. Dry cough and wheezing in lung cancer often suggest that the cancer may be in the middle to late stages, where the chances of surgery are generally small. However, it is still necessary to complete relevant examinations to further assess the condition. If the patient is eligible for surgery, surgical treatment should be considered. If the patient is indeed in the middle to late stages of lung cancer and is not suitable for surgery, chemotherapeutic drugs are needed for treatment. Sometimes, targeted drugs can be chosen for treating advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer. In cases of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with driver gene mutations, targeted therapy might even be the preferred treatment option.

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Does shoulder pain mean lung cancer?

The most common cause of shoulder pain is chronic strain of the ligaments and muscles in the shoulder, not lung cancer. Lung cancer accounts for only a small portion of the reasons. If a patient has lung cancer, it can spread to the shoulder, or the lung cancer itself can produce a type of referred pain, which can cause shoulder pain. To determine the cause, it is necessary to go to the hospital for an X-ray of the shoulder joint or a plain chest film, as well as an MRI of the shoulder joint, to clarify the cause of the shoulder pain. If the pain is solely due to the muscles or ligaments in the shoulder, it can be relieved through conservative treatments such as massage, acupuncture, electrotherapy, and magnetotherapy.

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How to treat dry cough caused by lung cancer?

Dry cough is a very common symptom in clinical practice, caused by many factors which are also very complex. Some patients might clearly have lung cancer. Due to the presence of lung cancer lesions, patients can experience irritating dry cough as well as symptoms like hemoptysis, chest pain, and chest tightness. It is possible that some patients do not exhibit symptoms of dry cough, perhaps due to other causes. Therefore, for dry cough, we need to identify if it is caused by lung cancer, as it often requires surgical treatment to control the symptoms. Some patients with minor lung cancer who experience dry cough might be able to control it with appropriate medications. However, to effectively control symptoms of dry cough caused by lung cancer, surgical removal is generally necessary and is the ultimate treatment plan.