Lung Tumor: Is It Cancer?

Lung Tumor: Is It Cancer?

For this article, I took Dra. Meredith Garcia, a cancer specialist to give an explanation. Here is the advice of Dra. Garcia.

The lump can often be read in the X-ray result as "mass", "nodule", "nodularity", "opacity" or "lesion". Often, lumps in the lungs are seen when a patient undergoes a chest X-ray for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. There are also times when it is only seen accidentally at the executive checkup or at the annual examination of those who apply for the job even if the patient feels nothing.

There are many possible causes for "X" rash-like chest X-rays, such as pneumonia, lung abscess, TB (tuberculosis) and fungal infections.

There are also true benign or noncancerous tumors such as hamartoma. But an important diagnosis that needs to be investigated is cancer. It can be primary lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer that has spread from cancer to other parts of the body, or other types of cancer such as lymphoma, sarcoma and mesothelioma.

When a "chest" is found on the chest X-ray, it is important to see a doctor immediately to investigate the cause. The doctor will take your medical history and perform a physical examination. The appearance of X-rays is also examined to see if it has properties that look more benign or look more cancerous.

Depending on the doctor's diagnosis, he or she may perform additional tests to confirm his or her diagnosis such as CT scan, bronchoscopy (lung endoscopy) and biopsy. Here in the country where TB is rampant, sputum AFB is often performed on lab tests.

Do not ignore any chest X-ray lumps especially if you have a history of strong smoking or symptoms that do not disappear or worsen. See a doctor right away.