What are the key points and methods for diagnosing small cell lung cancer

What are the key points and methods for diagnosing small cell lung cancer? Some people feel unwell and go to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor initially determines that they have small cell lung cancer. The patients become confused when they hear that they have small cell lung cancer. So what are the key points and methods for diagnosing small cell lung cancer? Let's take a look.

Start with the following: medical history, physical examination, routine laboratory evaluation, chest X-ray, chest + upper abdomen contrast CT scan, biopsy.

Experienced pathologists are required to distinguish small cell from non-small cell. Most lung tumors can be diagnosed under light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy are helpful for histological classification.

The diagnosis is as follows:

1. Tumor VIP receptor imaging

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neurotransmitter composed of 28 amino acids with multiple functions. It can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of normal and tumor cells through its receptors. VPAC (VIP receptor) is widely present in various normal and tumor tissues, but its expression density in tumor tissue is much higher than that in normal tissue, which lays the foundation for radionuclide-labeled vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor imaging. This imaging has been applied to the diagnosis, staging, treatment selection and prognosis evaluation of various tumors.

2. Chest X-ray

It is the simplest, easiest and cheapest inspection method.

3. Positron emission tomography (PET)

Whole-body PET is significantly more accurate than CT and radionuclide bone scanning in identifying lung masses, lymph nodes, or distant metastases.

4. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

It is not as good as CT in detecting small lung lesions, but it can more clearly show the relationship between the tumor and large blood vessels. When determining whether there is intracranial metastasis, enhanced MRI is the first choice.