Testing for lung cancer in healthy people
People with an increased risk of lung cancer may consider annual lung cancer screening using low dosage CT scanners. Lung cancer screening is generally for people who have remained smokers all their life. Many things are seen while testing or providing lung cancer treatment to patients. The tests that are done to test the cancer present in the lungs are;
- Imaging Tests
The test includes X-ray imaging of the lungs that helps to reveal the abnormal masses or nodules present. The CT scan can help to reveal small lesions present in the lungs, which are left out by the X-ray detector.
- Sputum cytology
If an individual has coughed and the sputum is produced, then this sputum is observed under a microscope, revealing the cells related to lung cancer.
- Tissue Biopsy
A biopsy is a process where the abnormal cells present in the body are removed; it is performed due to many reasons, and one of them is bronchoscopy. It is the method in which the doctor examines areas of the lungs that look abnormal using a lighted tube. The tube is passed down the throat and then moved into the lungs.
Treatment of lung cancer
The doctor chooses the treatment plan according to factors like the patient’s overall health, stage and type of cancer, and preferences. There are some cases in which one doesn’t go under any treatment.
Surgery is the option that doctors choose to treat cancer; in this, the part with cancer is removed, and other procedures are followed accordingly.
- Wedge resection is the method in which a small section of the lung, which contains the tumor, is removed along the margin of healthy tissue.
- Lobectomy – It is the method in which the entire lobe of one lung is removed.
- Pneumonectomy – It is the process in which an entire lung is removed.
- Segmental resection- It is the process in which the more significant portion of the lungs is removed, not the whole lung.
If one undergoes surgery, the surgeons remove the lymph nodes of the chest to check the signs of cancer. Surgery is one of the best options, as many doctors recommend chemotherapy and surgery before the surgery to shrink and reduce cancer.
Conclusion
There are different methods to treat lung cancer, and all these methods are used per the patient’s condition and preferences. Cancer can be treated as many methods can remove the cancerous cells from the body.