Symptoms and staging of lung cancer

Lung cancer symptoms 

 Common lung cancer symptoms and signs are: 

 Persistent and worsening cough. 

 Persistent chest pain. 

 Hemoptysis. 

 Shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness. 

 The occurrence of repeated pneumonia or bronchitis. 

 Swelling of the neck and face. 

 Appetite reduction or weight loss. 

 Tired. 

 These symptoms may occur in lung cancer or other less serious cases, to find a doctor to do to check is the most important. 

 Lung Cancer Diagnosis 

 Happen in order to identify the causes of the above symptoms, the doctor will assess the patient's medical history, smoking history, exposure to the living environment and the work material and family history of cancer. Physicians will also make a number of physical examination, chest X-rays and some other tests. If the suspected lung cancer, sputum cytology (which is obtained by deep cough the mucus cells in the lungs under a microscope to check to do) is a simple and beneficial to have found that lung cancer test. To confirm that lung cancer, physicians must be obtained from the lungs to do inspection organizations. Biopsy are the next small organizations cut samples under the microscope by a pathologist to confirm whether it had cancer. Following the inspection method can be used to obtain Organization: 

 Bronchoscopy: physicians through the mouth or nose and put a bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube), after tracheal respiratory point of view, physicians can collect through this tube into cells or small tissue samples. 

 Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration: With a fine needle inserted through the chest to obtain a small piece of tumor punishable tissue samples. 

 Pleural puncture: Doctors use needles to obtain some of the surrounding lung liquid samples to check for cancer cells. 

 Pleural sphincterotomy: diagnosis of lung cancer surgery sometimes necessary to line thoracic surgery, such surgery should be carried out in hospitals. 

 Lung cancer staging 

 If the cancer has been diagnosed, the doctor will then go to understand the stages of lung cancer (or level). Phases are to discover whether the scope of cancer has spread and, if so, are spread to any part of the body. Lung cancer often spread to the brain or bones. Know the stages of cancer can help doctors to develop treatment plan. Following a number of checks are used to determine whether cancer has spread, including: 

 Computed tomography: is a computer with the X-ray machines to do inspections, may be showing a series of internal spaces detailed picture. 

 Magnetic resonance imaging (image): is a computer system with a strong magnetic field inside the body of a detailed picture. 

 Nuclear Medicine Scan: Scan can show whether or not to have cancer spread to other organs, such as the liver. Patients have to swallow or accept the small amount of radioactive material injected. By machine (scanner) to measure and record in a specific organ to the radiation, and showed abnormal positions. 

 Bone scan: A bone scan is a nuclear medicine scan, we can see whether the cancer has been violated to the bone. It is a small amount of radioactive material injected into the blood stream. It is often gathered in abnormal bone growth region. Longer be able to use the scanner measured in these parts of the radioactive activity, and will be recorded in the x-rays. 

 Mediastinoscopy check / Mediastinal sphincterotomy: mediastinoscopy examination can show the cancer is an infringement of the chest lymph nodes. Physicians use a light source have endoscopy of the central parts of the chest (mediastinum) and nearby lymph nodes. Mediastinoscopy inspections carried out by the neck, make a small incision, insert endoscopic. Mediastinal incision in the chest make a small incision, the two inspections, including the use of endoscopy is to obtain tissue samples 1. Line of this examination the patient requires systemic anesthesia.