Testing for Lung Cancer

Testing for Lung Cancer

• Your doctor will study your body for signs of disease. He or she will touch parts of your body to see if anything feels abnormal.
• A medical history is a report of all health events in your lifetime.
• Blood tests are used to look for signs of cancer.
• Diagnostic CT may show if cancer has spread in your body. PET/CT may detect cancer that CT did not.
• MRI can be used to see if cancer has spread to your brain. MRI of the spine and thoracic inlet is needed if you have a superior sulcus tumor.
• A bronchoscopy is a procedure that assesses your airways. It is done for many stage I, II, and III lung cancers.
• A biopsy is needed to confirm that cancer is present. It is often used to help stage the cancer.
• Pulmonary function tests are needed if surgery or radiation therapy is a treatment option.
• Supportive care aims to improve your quality of life. It is important for everyone, not just people at the end of life.