What are the tests for small cell lung cancer

What are the examinations for small cell lung cancer? Recently, some patients with small cell lung cancer are very confused. They want to go to the hospital for examination but don’t know which examinations to do. They are also afraid of delaying the disease. So what are the examinations for small cell lung cancer? Let’s follow us to learn about it.

A chest X-ray is the simplest, easiest and cheapest method of examination.

1. Mediastinoscopy: For cases that are difficult to diagnose with conventional methods, mediastinoscopy and biopsy can be considered. It is of great diagnostic significance for upper mediastinal lymph node metastasis or anterior mediastinal lymph node invasion.

2. Tumor marker examination: The main markers are NSE, CEA, SCC, CYFR21-1, etc., which lack specificity and have certain reference value for disease monitoring.

3. Thoracoscopic and open-chest biopsy: For peripheral lesions, mediastinal lesions or pleural lesions that are difficult to diagnose, thoracoscopy or open-chest exploratory biopsy may be considered.

4. Sputum cytology examination: The positive rate is related to the location and size of the tumor, the quality of the sputum, and whether there is concurrent infection. The detection rate of central lung cancer is higher, but it is difficult to determine the type, and it is currently not recommended.

5. 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.

6. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy: It can observe the location, size and extent of the tumor infiltrating into the bronchial cavity, and obtain tissue for pathological examination. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a new technology. For lesions with only airway compression but no intracavitary tumors, this examination can help clarify the extent of the lesion and improve the accuracy of transmural biopsy.

7. Ultrasound of superficial lymph nodes: SCLC is prone to metastasize to supraclavicular lymph nodes. Ultrasound scanning of the neck, supraclavicular nodes, axillae, etc. is performed to determine the stage of lymph node metastasis.