When dealing with the secondary lung cancer, you may have different tests to diagnose the cancer, which include the following:
First, you may have chest x-ray. This is likely to be your first test you undergo. Also, there is CT (Computerized Tomography) scan. The CT scan is run in a series of x-rays which build up a 3-dimensional picture of the inside of the body. The scan is so painless and takes ten to fifteen minutes. CT scans make use of small amount of radiation, which will not harm you or anyone you will come into contact with. You are likely to be asked to not drink or eat for at least 4 hours prior to the scan. You may also be given an injection or drink of a dye, which enables particular areas to be seen more clearly. This will make you feel hot all over for several minutes. It is important to let your doctor know if you have allergy to iodine or if you have asthma, since you can have a more serious reaction to the injection given.
Second, there is PET, which stands for positron emission tomography. This uses a low-dose of radioactive sugar so as to measure the activity of cells in various parts of the body. A small amount of mildly radioactive substance will be injected into your vein, commonly in the arm. You will then have scan for a couple of hours later. The areas of cancer are commonly more active than is surrounding tissue and appear on the scan.
For more accurate diagnosis, your doctor will run biopsy. Some people may require biopsy. You will generally have this one carried out in the x-ray department, when you are undergoing CT scan. The biopsy may be carried out by doctor that specializes in lung surgery or thoracic surgeon. The doctor will first inject some local anesthetic into the designate area to make it numb. They will gently insert needle through your skin and into the lung to remove small sample of the cells to be examined using microscope. This may be slightly uncomfortable yet it only takes a few minutes. Secondary lung cancer may trigger fluid to collect in the space between the membranes which surround the lungs. This is known as the pleural effusion. If this does occur, it may be possible to remove some of the fluid and examine it for cancer cells.
When the cancer cells are evaluated, doctors can commonly tell that it is a secondary lung cancer since the cells look like the ones from the primary one. For instance, if bowel cancer has spread to the lungs, these cells will appear like bowel cancer cells, instead of lung cancer cells.
All in all, the procedures to diagnose the secondary lung cancer will vary to great extent. This will depend on the stage of your cancer, the occurring symptoms, and how your body react to different methods of diagnosis. Most doctors will carry out several procedures to diagnose the cancer cells for more accurate results.
