Various Types of Examination to Detect Lung Cancer

How to detect lung cancer can be done using various methods, ranging from physical examination to imaging. Check out the full explanation in the following review.

Screening to Detect Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. In fact, this disease is the leading cause of death in the cancer group.

Data from the Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) in 2015, reported that of the 668 cases of malignancy of the thoracic cavity that were recorded, around 75 percent of them were lung cancer cases.

Early detection of this disease is important to speed up treatment of the condition. Several tests to detect lung cancer, including:

1. Recognize the Symptoms of Lung Cancer

If you want to detect the presence of this type of cancer, you should first identify the symptoms. In the early stages, symptoms may be difficult to detect. New symptoms will appear when entering the final stage.

As a result, treatment becomes more difficult, thereby reducing the overall survival rate of sufferers.

In general, the following are symptoms that you need to watch out for, including:

• Prolonged cough that doesn’t go away.
• Hard to breathe.
• Chest pain.
• Bleeding cough.
• Bone pain.
• Weight loss.
• Headache.
• Hoarseness.

If you experience any of these symptoms, immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.

Also Read: Pleuropneumonia, Inflammation that Attacks the Lungs and Pleura

2. Pay Attention to Lung Cancer Risk Factors

The exact cause of lung cancer is not known until now. However, there are various factors that can increase a person’s exposure to this disease, including:

• Have a smoking habit.
• Exposed to cigarette smoke.
• Radiation therapy.
• Undergoing radiation therapy before.
• Exposure to radon gas.
• Have a family history of lung cancer.
• Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens.

If you have any of these risk factors for lung cancer, consult a doctor immediately to determine whether cancer screening is needed.

3. Check Health Conditions

After detecting symptoms that suggest lung cancer, a medical history and physical examination should be done immediately to get the right diagnosis.

During the examination, the doctor will ask about your medical history and the symptoms you are feeling. In addition, the doctor will also ask about some habits that can increase the risk factors for cancer.

In addition to detecting signs of cancer, examinations are also carried out to detect other health problems.

Also Read: Human Lung Function and How to Maintain Health

4. Perform a Series of Tests

There are several options for detecting lung cancer through tests. The doctor is likely to recommend several examination procedures such as:

This test is usually the first test used as a way of diagnosing lung cancer. If there is a tumor in the lungs, an X-ray will show it as a gray-white mass.

However, a chest X-ray does not provide a definite diagnosis. This is because this test cannot distinguish between cancer and other conditions, such as a lung abscess (a collection of pus that forms in the lungs).

The next way to diagnose lung cancer is a computerized tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Both of these actions are performed to provide a more detailed description of the location of the tumor. An overview of the condition of other tissues around the lung organs can also be seen.

Also Read: Does Bathing at Night Cause Wet Lungs?

Positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) scans can be done if the CT scan or MRI results show the patient has early-stage cancer. This action is performed to determine the spread and stage of lung cancer.

Bronchoscopy is done to find out the inside of the airways. The doctor will take a small sample first. This sampling is called a biopsy.

During the procedure, the doctor will insert a thin tube that has a camera at the end (a bronchoscope) into the throat through the mouth and nose.

Now, those are some ways to detect lung cancer that are important for you to know. If you detect any symptoms that lead to this condition, immediately check the condition with a doctor to get the right diagnosis and treatment.

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