Patients suspected of having lung cancer will be given a complete examination and a health-related interview to check for symptoms and risk factors. The doctor may also take a sputum (mucus spit up from the lungs) sample to test for cancerous cells or infectious organisms.
Imaging tests performed to find signs of cancer are:
Positron emission tomography (PET)—PET uses a special camera that detects radioactivity. The patient takes glucose (a form of sugar) that contains a radioactive atom. Cancer cells absorb large amounts of the sugar and become detectable to the camera.
Chest x-ray—x-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation that can pass through a body. By using x-ray sensitive photographic film, pictures of inside the body can be taken.
Computed tomography (CT or “CAT” scan)—a computer-assisted x-ray procedure which takes multiple pictures by rotating around you. You will most likely receive an intravenous injection of a dye that helps better outline the structures in your body. Certain body parts are better highlighted with a contrast solution that is taken orally.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)—a magnetic field is used to excite hydrogen ions within the body and/or specific body parts. A computer translates the pattern of radio waves given off by the tissues into a detailed image of the body part.
Bone scans—a minute dose of a radioactive substance (usually technetium diphosphonate) is injected into a vein and after the bones have absorbed it, special equipment is used to take pictures of the bones.
There are other tests that sample tissues and cells to confirm that a lung mass seen on an imaging test is lung cancer and not a benign condition. These tests also help determine what type of lung cancer the mass is and its stage (the extent to which it has spread). One or more of the following tests will be performed: