After lung cancer has been diagnosed

After lung cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the lungs or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the lungs or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:

Physical exam and history:

An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.

Radiologic exams:

The use of radiation or other imaging methods to find signs of cancer. Radiologic tests for non-small cell lung cancer include:

Chest x-ray:

An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.

CT scan (CAT scan):

A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.

PET scan (positron emission tomography scan):

A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radionuclide glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells.

Laboratory tests:

Medical procedures that test samples of tissue, blood, urine, or other substances in the body. These tests help to diagnose disease, plan and check treatment, or monitor the disease over time.

Lymph node biopsy:

The removal of all or part of a lymph node. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. One of the following types of biopsies may be done:

  • Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lymph node.
  • Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lymph node.
  • Core biopsy: The removal of part of a lymph node using a wide needle.
  • Needle biopsy: The removal of part of a lymph node using a thin needle.

Bronchoscopy:

A procedure to look inside the trachea and large airways in the lung for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted through the nose or mouth into the trachea and lungs. Tissue samples may be taken for biopsy.

Mediastinoscopy:

A surgical procedure to look at the organs, tissues, and lymph nodes between the lungs for abnormal areas. An incision (cut) is made at the top of the breastbone and a thin, lighted tube is inserted into the chest. Tissue and lymph node samples may be taken for biopsy.

Anterior mediastinotomy:

A surgical procedure to look at the organs and tissues between the lungs and between the breastbone and spine for abnormal areas. An incision (cut) is made next to the breastbone and a thin, lighted tube is inserted into the chest. Tissue and lymph node samples may be taken for biopsy. This is also called the Chamberlain procedure.



Lung Cancer News

6 May 2008 at 4:00am
VANCOUVER, WA (MARKET WIRE) The Caring Ambassadors Lung Cancer Program (CAP Lung Cancer) proudly announces the launch of the CAP Lung Cancer Internet site redesign. CAP Lung Cancer is pleased to offer the community this state-of-the-art resource. The redesigned site is more user-friendly, and introduces many new features and enhancements of existing tools and activities.
5 Jun 2008 at 10:57am
A 61-year-old man died after doctors wrongly diagnosed him with lung cancer and removed a healthy lung in an attempt to help him live longer; it is being reported by London’s Daily Mail.
9 Jun 2008 at 10:00pm
(Radiological Society of North America) Screening for lung cancer with computed tomography may help reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, but it won't protect them from other causes of death associated with smoking, according to a new study.
20 May 2008 at 7:00am
The goal of developing reliable genetic tests to guide lung cancer treatment has taken a step forward. Researchers at Columbia University recently evaluated the ability of five high-risk genetic profiles, or signatures, to predict the likelihood that cancer would recur in patients whose non-small cell lung cancer was caught early and surgically removed.
25 Jun 2008 at 10:00pm
(American Association for Cancer Research) People who have never smoked but whose cells cannot efficiently repair environmental insults to DNA are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those with effective genomic repair capability, according to researchers from the department of epidemiology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
18 May 2008 at 8:00am
Patients who have undergone surgical procedures for the removal of lung cancer can tolerate and benefit from exercise regimens started just a month after surgery, according to a new study led by researchers at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
20 Jul 2008 at 10:00pm
(University of Michigan Health System) Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment.
16 May 2008 at 5:00am
Celecoxib, the anti-inflammatory medication also known by the trade name Celebrex, has proven to be safe and reduces a specific proliferation measurement of precancerous lesions in the lung, according to a study from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
20 May 2008 at 7:00am
A simple blood test may be able to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages with unprecedented accuracy, according to new research to be presented at American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.
27 May 2008 at 10:00pm
(University of California - Los Angeles) Tobacco smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drink green or black tea may be protecting themselves from lung cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by UCLA cancer researchers.
1 Jun 2008 at 8:00am
Tobacco smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drink green or black tea may be protecting themselves from lung cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind study by UCLA cancer researchers.
1 Jun 2008 at 11:27am
Adding the novel cancer drug Erbitux to standard chemotherapy helped advanced lung cancer patients live just a month longer than chemo alone, a study found.
25 May 2008 at 10:00pm
(JAMA and Archives Journals) Carriers of a common genetic disorder previously linked to lung disease may have a 70-percent to 100-percent increased risk of lung cancer, according to a report in the May 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
31 May 2008 at 10:56pm
The drug Erbitux lengthened the survival of patients with advanced lung cancer by about five weeks, researchers are reporting.
25 Jun 2008 at 10:00pm
The Mesothelioma Center within the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center is now recruiting patients for a clinical research study of a new targeted radiation and chemotherapy protocol for pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung's lining that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.