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Understanding
Lung Cancer -- An Overview
Symptoms and Signs of Lung
Cancer
Common signs and symptoms of lung cancer include:
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Persistent cough that gets worse over time
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Hemoptysis (Coughing up blood)
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Constant chest pain
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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 symptoms may be caused by lung cancer or by other, less serious
conditions. It is important to check with a doctor.
Diagnosing Lung Cancer
To help find the cause of symptoms, the doctor evaluates a person's
medical history, smoking history, exposure to environmental and
occupational substances, and family history of cancer. The doctor may
also perform a physical exam, a chest x-ray,
and may order 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. A biopsy--the
removal of a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope
by a pathologist--can show whether a
person has cancer. A number of procedures may be used to obtain this
tissue:
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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.
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Needle aspiration. A
needle is inserted through the chest into the tumor to remove a
sample of tissue.
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Thoracentesis. Using
a needle, the doctor removes a sample of the fluid that surrounds
the lungs to check for cancer cells.
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Thoracotomy. Surgery to
open the chest is sometimes needed to diagnose lung cancer. This
procedure is a major operation performed in a hospital.
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