Dr Chris discusses CT scans detecting lung cancer
With each year that passes by, there are around 35,300 people across Britain who lose their lives to the deadly disease.
Lung cancer may not present with symptoms in the earliest stages but, sometimes, there could be clues that something is wrong.
Considered one of the “most common” symptoms of lung cancer, according to Cancer Research UK, “a cough most of the time” should be investigated by a medical professional.
A health check-up is also crucial if you have noticed a “new cough” that hasn’t shifted in a number of weeks.
Any cough that brings up blood should also be alarming enough to warrant a medical check-up.
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Another possible indication of lung cancer is when you get out of breath doing activities that once were no problem to do.
As a tumour takes up space in the lung, its capacity to work well is reduced.
There might be a pain or ache that develops in the chest or shoulders, fatigue may set in, and you might be losing weight without trying.
Cancer can also make you lose your appetite and you could suffer from recurrent chest infections.
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While these symptoms could be indicative of other underlying health conditions, it’s advisable to get them checked out by a health professional.
As with any type of cancer, should that be the cause of your symptoms, the sooner it’s picked up, the better the outlook is likely to be.
Clinical oncologist Neil Bayman, at Macmillan Cancer Support, revealed there are two main types of primary lung cancer:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
When going to your GP with symptoms, the next step is to have a chest X-ray or CT scan if lung cancer is suspected.
If these tests show anything abnormal, a referral will be made to see a specialist within a fortnight.
Further testing might involve a biopsy and PET-CT scan; if lung cancer is found, more tests will be needed to help with the staging of lung cancer.
Treatment for lung cancer may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy drugs or a combination of these.
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