Learn All About Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

If a fluid test shows a negative result for cancer, then video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is conducted to examine the lung lining to confirm any tumor present. If a tumor appears, then further tests are needed to diagnose the type of cancer.

 

However, Non-small Lung Cancer is confirmed with a biopsy. In this procedure, your doctor needs a sample of lung tissues to diagnose lung cancer. A needle passes through a patient nose, mouth, and air passage to the lungs and removes some tissue from the lungs. This procedure is usually not painful. 

If a biopsy detects a lung tumor, then the following procedure is to check the category of cancer and what organs are affected by it. 

The next step is to do a CT scan for a detailed checkup of your lungs to see how much cancer has spread. Cancer spreads to nearby organs like distant bones, the liver, adrenal glands, or the brain. 

Mediastinoscopy is the procedure in which cancer cells are detected in lymph nodes because biopsy is a valuable test only to determine the lung tumor near the center of the lungs. 

 

To check the spread of lung cancer to distant organs, CT scans, bone scans, and MRI of the brain are helpful for doctors. 

How is Lung Cancer treated?

Your doctor examines all tests and devises a plan to treat lung cancer based on the type of cancer, the level of cancer spread, your overall health, and the current functionality of your lungs. 

There are four steps to cure lung cancer 

  1. Surgery (non-smokers) or Stereotactic radiosurgery (smokers)
  2. Radiation
  3. Chemotherapy
  4. Medication

Non-small Lung Cancer and Small-cell Lung Cancer Treatment

Small Cell lung cancer often starts in the airways of smokers, and it can quickly spread to the other organs of the body. Chemotherapy, along with radiotherapy of the brain, is involved in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer.