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A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time |
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Constant chest pain |
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Coughing up blood |
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Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness |
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Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis |
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Swelling of the neck and face |
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Loss of appetite or weight loss |
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Fatigue |
These lung cancer symptoms may be caused by lung cancer or by other conditions.
It is important to check with a doctor.
To help find the cause of lung cancer symptoms, the doctor evaluates a person's
medical history, smoking history, exposure to environmental
and occupational substances such as asbestos, and family history
of cancer. The doctor also performs a physical exam and may
order a chest x-ray and other tests. If lung cancer is suspected,
sputum cytology (the microscopic examination of cells obtained
from a deep-cough sample of mucus in the lungs) is a simple
test that may be useful in detecting lung cancer. To confirm
the presence of lung cancer, the doctor must examine tissue
from the lung. The removal of a small sample of tissue for
examination under a microscope by a pathologist can show whether
a person has lung cancer. A number of procedures may be used
to obtain this tissue:
| • |
Bronchoscopy. The doctor puts a bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube) into the
mouth or nose and down through the windpipe to look into
the breathing passages. Through this tube, the doctor can
collect cells or small samples of tissue. |
| • |
Needle aspiration. A needle is inserted through the chest into the lung cancer
tumor to remove a sample of tissue. |
| • |
Thoracentesis. Using a needle, the doctor removes a sample of the fluid that
surrounds the lungs to check for cancer cells. |
| • |
Thoracoscopy. Surgery to open the chest is sometimes needed to diagnose lung
cancer. This procedure is a major operation performed in
a hospital. |
