| Lung cancer diagnosis can be done through a | | | | diagnosis. |
| number of ways. A chest radiograph is done as a | | | | Lung cancer is a type of cancer that leads to |
| first step in patients who have manifested | | | | uncontrolled cell growth in the tissues of the lung. |
| symptoms that may be suggestive of lung | | | | It is the second most common cause of |
| cancer. A chest radiograph may show mass or | | | | cancer-related deaths in women after breast |
| widening of the mediastinum which may suggest | | | | cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related |
| spread of the disease to the lymph nodes. If the | | | | deaths in men. The major cause of cancer of the |
| radiograph does not provide any findings in a | | | | lung is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke |
| person with an increased risk for example a | | | | which eventually alters the DNA in the tissue lining |
| heavy smoker, a bronchoscopy may provide the | | | | the bronchi in the lungs. |
| necessary information. | | | | Other causes are exposure to ionizing radiation |
| A computed tomography or CT scan can also be | | | | and sometimes it could be as a result of a viral |
| used to provide relevant information on the | | | | infection. In nonsmokers, the cause is a |
| disease. Bronchoscopy or CT guided biopsy is | | | | combination of genetic factors and air pollution. |
| often used to identify the type of tumor. Sputum | | | | Lung cancer diagnosis can also be done after an |
| atypia is a condition associated with persons with | | | | incidental finding of the disease on a chest |
| an increased risk of lung cancer. In this scenario, | | | | radiograph or a CT scan taken for an unrelated |
| sputum cytologic examination combined with | | | | disease. |
| other screening methods may help in lung cancer | | | | |