CT Scan
PET Scan
Bronchoscopy
Needle Biopsy
Surgical biopsy

These tests may be used in isolation but usually they are applied in combination, including using all of them.

CT Scan

CT stands for Computed Tomography and uses x-rays to provide an anatomic detail of the patient. It is non-invasive and is risk-free and pain-free.

PET Scan

PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography and is a non-invasive diagnostic tool which looks at the metabolic activity which is occurring in the patient’s body. Cancer is metabolically active and stands out amongst tissue which is less so. PET Scans are an excellent tool for determining whether the abnormality is cancerous (or malignant).
The procedure involves an injection of a glucose solution which is laced with a mildly radioactive tracer. The metabolically active cancer uses glucose to grow and takes it up so it is highlighted when we perform the scan. Typically, the results of the PET Scan are fused with those of the CT Scan to identify exactly where the metabolic activity is taking place within the lungs. As the lungs are primarily composed of air, this is metabolically inert so the tumor will immediately stand out, if indeed there is one. You should know that areas of the lungs which are inflamed or infected are also metabolically active, so a positive PET Scan does not mean you have lung cancer.

Bronchoscopy

This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure whereby a flexible fiber optic tool is passed down into the major airways. This involves passing a flexible tube down through either the nose of the mouth and then washings or biopsies can be taken for further analysis.

Needle Biopsy

Here a surgeon will use a CT Scan to direct them in the insertion of a needle into the abnormality’s location within the lung. The needle is used to remove some of the tissue associated with the abnormality and is then subjected to further analysis to determine whether it is cancer and malignant.

Surgical Biopsy

When a tumor is in an inaccessible location or is perhaps, too small to allow a needle biopsy to take place, then a surgical biopsy is required. This involves an incision between two ribs and the removal of part of the lung tissue upon which the tumor is located. Once removed, the tissue is analyzed further at the pathology lab to determine its origin.

Post Diagnosis: “Staging”

Once a diagnosis of lung cancer has been confirmed the next step in the process is to determine what stage of the disease the patient has. Staging refers to how much cancer the patient has actually got and the location within their body of a tumor or tumors. By staging the cancer, your doctor is able to determine the most appropriate course of treatment depending on whether the tumor size (T), whether it has spread to the lymp nodes (N) and whether it has spread elsewhere within the body or metastasized (M).

Find the right doctor for lung cancer treatments or mitral valve disease. Early diagnosis can lead to successful results.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/diagnostic-tools-for-lung-cancer-1538770.html

Surgery is indicated when in the early stages of the disease as the tumor is confined to a relatively small area and has not spread t other parts of the body. The removal of the tumor is known as a “resection” or you may hear the tumor as being “resectable”. In later stages of the disease, surgery is not usually as beneficial as chemotherapy or radiation treatment in tackling the disease, though “palliative surgery” may be advisable to provide relief for end-stage (Stage IV) lung cancer.

Surgery is not likely to be beneficial in treating the disease when it has spread to the lungs from another part of the body (referred to as “metastasized”), unless the cancer is non-aggressive and the tumor is not large.

Where surgery may be beneficial in curing the disease there are two types of surgical intervention which may take place:

Minimally invasive surgery; and
Traditional open surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgery

This involves the surgeon making two small incisions between the ribs. Each of the incisions are typically an inch or so, but this provides enough room for a skilled surgeon to operate without the need for rib spreading.

In the upper incision, a camera is inserted which relays a high-definition television picture which is used to guide the surgeon as they operate through the second lower incision. This type of surgery is also sometimes referred to as Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery or VATS.

VATS has several advantages for patients whose lung cancer is susceptible to treatment using this technique. There are fewer complications that can arise, while the recovery time and stay in hospital are significantly reduced and the patient experiences much less pain due to the ribs not being spread. Minimally invasive surgery allows patients with early stage lung cancer to return to enjoying a high quality standard of life. Where chemotherapy is required after the operation, the length of treatment is reduced and stands a greater chance of success because it may be initiated much sooner than the alternatives.

Typically, a patient is able to stand up and walk around within two hours of surgery and is usually released from hospital within a day or two.

Traditional Open Chest Surgery

Patients may not be a suitable candidate for minimally invasive surgery, usually associated with anatomical reasons or location of the tumor and stage of the disease. Traditional open surgery involves an incision in the patient’s side and the spreading of the ribs to provide the surgeon with access to the tumor.

Palliative Surgery

Palliative surgery is used to make a patient more comfortable during the end-stages of the disease when the condition has become incurable. For instance, the tumor may need to be removed because it is causing an obstruction of the airway.

Find the right doctor for lung cancer treatments or mitral valve disease. Early diagnosis can lead to successful results.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/surgical-options-in-the-treatment-of-lung-cancer-1538794.html

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