Additional examinations for lung cancer

Information on the patient’s smoking habits is the most important background information when lung cancer is suspected. When lung cancer is suspected, a contrast-enhanced CT scan will be performed to determine the location, size and possible spread of the tumor.

In some cases, additional information may be obtained on the spread of the lung cancer by performing a PET scan to determine the metabolism of the tumor.

Lung function tests are performed with spirometric tests in the laboratory.

A tissue sample is needed from the tumor tissue at an appropriate site, usually taken as a needle sample. The tissue sample will be examined to diagnose the lung cancer and to determine the cancer subtype, as well as the molecular genetic changes affecting treatment selection. In some cases, the molecular genetic changes can also be examined by taking a blood sample.

Diagnostics and prevalence studies require physicians and expertise in various specialties (pulmonary specialist, radiologist, pathologist, clinical physiologist, molecular geneticist, surgeon). In some cases, it may be challenging to obtain a suitable tissue sample for diagnostic purposes due to the difficult anatomical location of the cancerous tumor, as well as the patient’s decreased lung function and possibly impaired general condition. The duration of the pathological and molecular genetic assays of tissue samples in laboratories is usually 2–3 weeks.