How Is Lung Cancer Treated?

CT or MRI, or both. Computer images can be either of these tests, which allows the lungs seen in thin slices, clearly showing all the growth in the lungs. These tests can be performed in other parts of the body, if you suspect that growth may have spread to other parts of the body.

For more detailed information regarding this test, go to the MRI.

For more information about the TC, go to the CT scan.

Other analysis techniques include various forms of the scan and bone scan. These tests can help detect whether the cancer has spread to other organs in the body or bones. A low dose of harmless radioactive substance is injected into a vein, and as she moves around the body scanning machine specialist is able to record the levels of radioactivity in the body. Since the absorption of radioactive material in different areas of the body affected by cancer, these areas are easily identifiable.

A more specialized test called mediastinoscopy may be offered. This procedure is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. A narrow telescope as a camera can be attached, is inserted into the front of the chest through a small incision, or sometimes through a small incision in the neck. A tissue sample can then be removed lymph nodes and other surrounding tissue.

The understanding of lung cancer "staging"

"Staging" is a method that was developed to describe the extent of tumor growth, which is based on the results of a biopsy and other investigations. This information can help predict how a single unit price over time. Staging of cancer is also possible to change the medical treatment of cancer by an individual.

In patients with lung cancer, assembly methods used for lung cancer non-small cell, representing approximately 80% of all cancers.

The TNM system of cancer is defined as follows:

T (tumor)

N (for nodes)

M (for metastasis or spread of cancer)

T refers to the size of the tumor itself:

TX and T0 - The tumor cells were found in sputum or lung tissue, but can not be seen.

Tis - Carcinoma in situ, meaning that the cells are cancerous, but the growth shows no sign of spread.

T1 - The tumor is small, however, content in the lung and has not reached the main airway.

T2 - The tumor has one or more of the following characteristics: it is larger than 3 cm, involving the airways, is close to the trachea, which won the membrane covering the lungs, lung tissue is damaged or inflamed, but not influenced the entire lung.

T3 - The tumor has invaded the chest wall, diaphragm, membrane covering the organs in the chest or the outer wall of the membrane around the heart and / or it has affected the entire lung.

T4 - The tumor has invaded the area between the lungs, heart, great vessels of the heart, trachea, esophagus, or vertebral column, and / or different tumors are present in the same lobe of the lung, and / or cancer is present in the fluid between the membrane covering the lungs and the lungs (pleural effusion).