7 Ways To Detect Lung Cancer

ASSISTENT DOCTOR - 7 Ways To Detect Lung Cancer

How to detect lung cancer can be done by various methods, ranging from physical examination to imaging. Detecting lung cancer quickly can determine the right treatment options and speed up treatment. The symptoms of lung cancer include coughing that does not heal, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, hoarseness, and weight loss.

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Based on data from the Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine , Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI), in 2015, of the 668 cases of thoracic cavity malignancy recorded, about 75% were cases of paru cancer.

How to Detect Lung Cancer

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, and this applies to both active and passive smokers. In addition, lung cancer is a disease that is often only detected when it is late stage, this causes a high death rate of lung cancer cases.

To prevent and get lung cancer treatment quickly, here are some ways to check for lung cancer:

1. Know The Symptoms Of Lung Cancer

Initially, how to detect lung cancer can see the symptoms. Symptoms of lung cancer show no signs in the early stages of cancer. In contrast, most lung cancers are diagnosed in the final stages of the disease, this makes treatment more difficult and as a result significantly reduces rates. survival of people with lung cancer as a whole. However, there are some symptoms of lung cancer in general that are not alarming. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a dokter immediately to get proper treatment:

Persistent cough
Shortness of breath
Hoarseness
Chronic bronchitis
Chest pain
Weight loss for no apparent reason
Bone pain

2. Pay Attention To Lung Cancer Risk Factors

Various factors may put someone at risk of lung cancer. Most people believe that smoking causes lung cancer. However, many people who have never smoked or stopped smoking are instead diagnosed with lung cancer. If you have any of the following lung cancer risk factors, see your doctor immediately to determine if you need further screening for cancer.

Smokers
Passive smoking
Exposure to radon gas
Exposure to asbestos fibers
Exposure to other carcinogens
Air pollution
Arsenic in drinking water
Previously exposed radiation to the lungs
Personal or family history of lung cancer

If your doctor recommends that you have a lung cancer test, there are several options for how to detect lung cancer. Maybe your doctor recommends the test below.

3. Chest X-ray

This test is usually the first test used as a way to check for lung cancer. Most lung tumors are detected through X-rays as a gray white mass. However, a chest X-ray cannot make a definitive diagnosis because it usually can't distinguish between cancer and other conditions, such as a lung abscess (a collection of pus that forms). in the lungs).

4. CT Scan

Computerized tomography (CT) scan is usually a way to detect the next lung cancer that will be done after a chest X-ray . CT scans use X-rays and computers to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. Before undergoing a CT scan procedure, the patient will be given injections containing special dyes or contrast media, which can help improve image quality.

5. PET-CT Scan

Positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) scans may be performed if the CT scan results show the patient has early-stage cancer. This method of checking paru cancer can show the location of active cancer cells and can help determine the best treatment.

6. Biopsy

Doctors can perform biopsies in several ways to detect lung cancer, including bronchoscopy, where the doctor will examine the abnormal area of the lungs using a thin hose embedded with a small camera and light through the throat until it enters the lungs.

After that, then mediastinoscopy, in which an incision is made at the base of the neck and a surgical device is inserted behind the chest to take a tissue sample from the lymph nodes; and Needle biopsy, in which the doctor uses an X-ray or CT image to guide the needle through the chest wall and into lung tissue to collect cells that may be cancerous. Biopsy samples may also be taken from lymph nodes or other areas where the cancer has spread (metastasized), such as in the liver.

7. Laboratory Tests

Doctors can also do two ways to check for lung cancer through a sputum test or blood test to check for the presence of lung cancer. The doctor will use this information to determine the type of lung cancer the patient may be suffering from, and how advanced the disease is.

Stage of Lung Cancer

After passing a test procedure to diagnose cancer, the stage stage of the cancer can show how far the cancer cells have spread throughout the body and its severity. This stage of cancer helps doctors determine the right treatment. The definition of the stage of cancer varies, but doctors usually determine the stages of non-small cell lung cancer using tumor size and spread to help doctors in the following ways:

Stage I: This early stage of the tumor has developed in the lungs, but is under 5 centimeters in size and has not spread to other parts of the body.
Stage II: The tumor is smaller than 5 centimeters and may have spread to lymph nodes in the lung area, or smaller than 7 centimeters and spread to nearby tissues but Not to the lymph nodes.
Stage III : Lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and reached other parts of the lungs and surrounding area.
Stage IV: Lung cancer has spread to other distant parts of the body, such as the bones of the brain.

Small cell lung cancer has its own category, limited and broad, referring to whether the cancer has spread inside or outside the lungs.