Lung cancer is a devastating medical condition that begins with abnormal cell changes in your lung. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of lung cancer include trouble breathing, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, wheezing and hoarseness. You are at risk for developing lung cancer if you smoke and are exposed to carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances such as asbestos and radon. The World Health Organization states that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both women and men worldwide. If you suspect you have lung cancer, there are ways to diagnose it early.
Step 1
Check for abnormal tumors in your lung with a painless procedure called a chest X-ray. You will be asked to stand against a plate containing the X-ray film as a camera creates a clear image of your lungs. Your doctor can immediately spot an abnormal finding.
Step 2
Get a low-dose helical computed tomography, also called a spiral CT. This involves obtaining detailed X-ray pictures of your lungs as the X-ray camera scans your body following a spiral manner. According to the Mayo Clinic, a spiral CT can detect tumors of early lung cancer.
Step 3
Obtain a sputum (mucus) culture to analyze whether you have lung cancer. Your doctor will ask you to forcefully cough up mucus, and he will analyze it under a microscope for abnormal lung cancer cells.
Step 4
Go to your doctor and have him perform a lung biopsy. A small sample of your lung will be removed using an X-ray or CT to guide the needle into a suspicious group of cells, says the Mayo Clinic. The cells are studied under a microscope for signs of early lung cancer.
Things You'll Need
- Chest X-ray
- Low dose computed tomography helical scan
- Sputum cytology
- Lung biopsy
