What are the diagnostic steps for small cell lung cancer

What are the diagnostic steps for small cell lung cancer? Many people think that small cell lung cancer can be diagnosed by just one test. This is just a theory. In fact, the symptoms must be judged first, and then relevant tests must be performed. Today, let's take a look at the diagnostic steps for small cell lung cancer:

When a patient with small cell lung cancer sees a doctor, the first thing to do is to understand the patient's condition, especially the medical history. Men aged >45 years and with a smoking index >400 are at high risk of small cell lung cancer. A lung physical examination is recommended at least once a year. Patients with cough and bloody sputum should be highly suspected of small cell lung cancer. The symptoms of small cell lung cancer are not specific. Any respiratory symptoms that have not been cured for more than two weeks, especially blood in sputum, dry cough, or changes in the original respiratory symptoms, should be highly alert to the possibility of small cell lung cancer. If an abnormal chest X-ray is found during the annual physical examination, such as fibroproliferative lesions after recovery from tuberculosis, follow-up examinations should be conducted every year. If the lesions increase in size, the presence of lung scar cancer should be further excluded.

The symptoms of small cell lung cancer patients can be used to judge the patient's condition and stage, which also has a certain diagnostic effect. Patients with small cell lung cancer who have recently developed headaches, nausea, or other neurological symptoms and signs should consider the possibility of brain metastasis. Bone pain, increased blood alkaline phosphatase or blood calcium should consider the possibility of bone metastasis. Right upper abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, increased alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase or bilirubin should consider the possibility of liver metastasis. In the case of subcutaneous metastasis, nodules can be touched under the skin; in the case of hematogenous metastasis to other organs, symptoms of the corresponding metastatic organs can be seen.

The above introduces the diagnostic steps of small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer does not require CT and other examinations right away. First, we need to understand the patient's condition and determine whether small cell lung cancer is present through symptoms. Then, some targeted diagnosis can be made to quickly confirm the diagnosis.