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Lung Cancer Diagnosis

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Essay 75: Lung Cancer – Diagnosis, Staging, and Treatment In this essay, I have chosen to focus on the clinical aspects of lung cancer diagnosis as opposed to an overemphasis on epidemiology. As of 2011, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S., which translates into over 150,000 deaths per year. Over 90% of lung cancer cases occur in people with a history of tobacco use, exposure to second hand smoke, or to an occupational exposure to asbestos. Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the 5 year survival rate for lung cancer continues to hover at a disappointing 15%. The remainder of this article will steer clear of statistics.
Diagnosis
The following symptoms should …show more content…
4) Less common signs and symptoms that warrant a work up for lung cancer include pathologic bone fractures in a person not known to have osteoporosis as well as the so called neoplastic and paraneoplastic syndromes.
5) Horner's syndrome - this constellation of findings consists of eyelid droop (ptosis), pupillary constriction (miosis), and decreased sweating (anhydrosis) on one side of a person's face. Lung cancers that compress a bundle of nerves called the brachial plexus are an important cause of Horner's syndrome. Because Horner's Syndrome directly results from the cancer's invasive spread into the brachial plexus, it is termed a neoplastic syndrome.
6) A well documented paraneoplastic syndrome is a condition called Lambert-Eaton Myasthenia Syndrome, or LEMS for short. Patients with LEMS develop worsening muscle weakness and motor deficits due to auto-antibodies (allegedly in response to tumor proteins) that bind to and inactivate voltage gated calcium channels on …show more content…
If a distinct mass is detected on an X-ray film or by CT or MRI, the next step is to visualize the mass using a bronchoscope. This step makes sense if the tumor is located near the large airways or main stem bronchi. If the tumor involves the lung parenchyma, meaning the small airways and alveoli, the next step is usually a biopsy. A detailed description of a lung biopsy procedure is beyond the scope of this article. Briefly, samples of the tumor may be obtained by CT guided needle aspiration, thoracentesis of a fluid pocket, and/or collection and analysis of BAL (bronchioalveloar lavage)

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