Can small cell lung cancer be detected?

Can small cell lung cancer be detected? Many people do not receive timely examination and treatment in the early stages of the disease, which leads to more serious consequences. Especially for diseases such as cancer, timely examination is necessary. Let's learn about whether small cell lung cancer can be detected.

Smokers are the most vulnerable group. More than 90% of patients with small cell lung cancer have a history of smoking. The age of onset is 35-68 years old, with an average age of 60 years old. There are more males than females. It can be detected through examination.

Chest computerized tomography (CT): It can show lesions that cannot be found by ordinary X-ray examinations, and show the range and degree of involvement of the hilar lymph nodes and mediastinum.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): It is not as good as CT in detecting small lung lesions, but it can more clearly show the relationship between the tumor and large blood vessels. When determining whether there is intracranial metastasis, enhanced MRI is the first choice.

Positron emission tomography (PET): Whole-body PET is significantly more accurate than CT and radionuclide bone scanning in identifying lung masses, lymph nodes, or distant metastases.

Sputum cytology examination: The positive rate is related to the location and size of the tumor, the quality of the sputum, whether there is concurrent infection, etc. The detection rate of central lung cancer is higher, but it is difficult to determine the type, and it is currently not recommended.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy: It can observe the location, size and extent of the tumor infiltrating the bronchial cavity, and obtain tissue for pathological examination. Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) is a new technology. For lesions with only airway compression but no intracavitary tumors, this examination can help clarify the extent of the lesion and improve the accuracy of transmural biopsy.

Percutaneous lung biopsy: It is performed under CT guidance. The biopsy positive rate is as high as 90%. If the tumor contains a large amount of necrotic area, it is often false negative.

Mediastinoscopy: For cases that are difficult to diagnose with conventional methods, mediastinoscopy and biopsy can be considered. It is of great diagnostic significance for upper mediastinal lymph node metastasis or anterior mediastinal lymph node invasion.

Thoracoscopic and open-chest biopsy: Thoracoscopic or open-chest exploratory biopsy may be considered for peripheral lesions, mediastinal lesions, or pleural lesions that are difficult to diagnose.

Ultrasound of superficial lymph nodes: SCLC is prone to metastasize to supraclavicular lymph nodes. Ultrasound scanning of the neck, supraclavicular nodes, axillae, etc. is performed to determine the stage of lymph node metastasis.

Patients with small cell lung cancer should avoid greasy and phlegm-producing foods, such as various fatty meats, desserts, bread, cheese, etc. No matter how much the patient wants to eat these foods, they cannot touch them. Eating them can easily cause a large amount of phlegm to form in the throat, which cannot be coughed out, making the patient feel very uncomfortable.