| Lung cancer is the fastest growing smoking | | | | x-ray simply cannot see. The CAT scan is a |
| related disease in the world, it is also the fastest | | | | better technology for this discovery, however it is |
| growing cancer with almost a million people being | | | | also more expensive so it is not used without a |
| diagnosed every year around the world. This kind | | | | good cause. The CAT scan can also help doctors |
| of growth is cause for alarm, to be sure, but | | | | determine how far the cancer has spread, and to |
| even more alarming is the fact that symptoms | | | | where. |
| do not usually occur to suggest lung cancer until it | | | | PET scans and MRI's are excellent ways to check |
| has progressed beyond a surgically treatable | | | | for cancer, however, once again, they are not |
| option. When it comes to diagnosing lung cancer | | | | generally used for the diagnosis of lung cancer, |
| there are many options. However, until a doctor | | | | instead they are used to determine the spread of |
| has reason to believe that a patient has this | | | | the disease and a PET scan can help doctors |
| disease, there is seldom a reason to run any of | | | | establish the amount of cancerous tumors a |
| these tests creating a situation where the disease | | | | person has in their body because of a special |
| has to progress substantially before a diagnosis is | | | | sugar injected into the body. |
| made. | | | | Once tumors are found on a persons lungs or |
| The most common way of diagnosing lung cancer | | | | throughout the body, diagnosing lung cancer |
| is via a chest x-ray. Generally the chest x-ray is | | | | becomes a matter of taking a biopsy. A biopsy is |
| order to determine the cause of pneumonia which | | | | the removal of some of the suspected tissue |
| often results in the discovery this disease, | | | | from the persons body. It is then observed under |
| especially in the case of recurring pneumonia in | | | | a microscope to determine if it is a cancerous |
| the same section of the lungs. While this is a good | | | | mass and if it is, what kind of cancer it might be. |
| way to diagnose cancer, the x-ray is not infallible | | | | The sooner it is diagnosed the better the |
| and can only see masses in front of bones, not | | | | prognosis for the patient. It is important for |
| behind, so it is not 100% accurate in its diagnosis. | | | | anyone who has been exposed to cancer causing |
| Another common, but less common than x-ray, | | | | agents or who smoke to have themselves |
| way for diagnosing lung cancer is with a CT or | | | | checked out for cancer whether they have |
| more commonly known CAT scan. This scan | | | | symptoms or not. If they wait until symptoms |
| allows doctors to see the smaller masses that an | | | | occur, it might be too late. |