What are the means of lung cancer examination

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor in my country. Its early symptoms are not obvious and many patients will ignore them. So when you suspect you have lung cancer, what tests do you need to do to confirm it? Let's take a look at the examination methods for lung cancer.

X-ray examination

X-ray is a common examination method for diagnosing lung cancer. The location and size of lung cancer can be understood through X-ray anteroposterior and lateral views. Although X-ray examination of early lung cancer cases has not yet revealed a mass, local emphysema and atelectasis caused by bronchial obstruction or infiltrative lesions or pulmonary inflammation in the vicinity of the lesion may be seen.

CT

CT is a computerized tomography scan that can show the size, shape, and range of lung cancer more clearly than X-rays. CT avoids the overlap of X-rays and is very helpful for early detection of hidden lesions. CT can also accurately stage lung cancer and is an effective means of examination.

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is a major means of examining lung cancer. Bronchoscopy allows direct observation of lesions in the bronchial endothelium and lumen, which helps to understand the extent of the lesions. It also allows the use of pathological tissue for pathological examination and extraction of bronchial secretions for cytological examination to confirm the diagnosis and determine the histological type.

PET-CT

PET-CT examination has important applications in lung cancer diagnosis and staging. PET-CT is more accurate and effective in locating and qualitatively diagnosing lung cancer than the currently commonly used CT in clinical practice. Combined with the anatomical positioning and differential diagnosis of CT images, it has a high detection rate for extrathoracic metastasis of lung cancer.

Thoracoscopic exploration

If the nature of the lung mass cannot be determined after multiple examinations and short-term diagnostic treatment, and the possibility of lung cancer cannot be ruled out, thoracoscopy can be used to confirm the diagnosis. Thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery with little trauma and quick recovery, and can be used for diagnosis and treatment at the same time. During the operation, appropriate treatment is given according to the condition of the lesion and the results of pathological tissue examination. This can effectively avoid delaying the disease and causing lung cancer patients to lose the opportunity for early treatment.