Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
| | A | | | B | | | C | | | D | | | E | | | F | | | G | | | H | | | I | | | J | | | K | | | L | | | M | |
| | N | | | O | | | P | | | Q | | | R | | | S | | | T | | | U | | | V | | | W | | | X | | | Y | |
Diagnosis of Cancer of the lung
The GP may suspect the diagnosis on the symptoms described by the patient and an examination of the chest. However, to confirm the diagnosis further tests will need to be done such as a chest X-ray or CT scan of the lung (a special type of X-ray which provides detailed images of the inside of the body).
Sometimes the diagnosis can only be made by examining the inside of the lung with a bronchoscope, which is a special telescope that allows the doctor to look down into the breathing tubes and take small samples (a biopsy) of the growth for analysis.
Cancer cells can sometimes be found in sputum samples sent for analysis.In addition further scans or X-rays of other parts of the body may be done to look for any spread of the cancer.
Urgent referral for a chest X-ray is necessary for anyone with more than one of the following symptoms and signs:
- unexplained or persistent coughing of blood for more than 3 weeks,
- cough with chest or shoulder pain,
- breathlessness,
- breathing difficulty,
- loss of weight;
- hoarseness,
- bone pain,
- fingers becoming club-shaped, or
- unexplained lymph node enlargement in the hollow above the collarbone or in the neck.
In some cases you may be referred for an urgent appointment with a chest specialist, without waiting for the results of a chest X-ray. This might happen if:
- You have been coughing up blood for more than three weeks and are over 40 and a smoker or ex-smoker,
- Your face, neck, or both, are swollen due to pressure from blocked veins, or
- Your breathing sounds noisy and harsh (this is called stridor).
