Did you know that cancer is the second biggest reason for human death? Even this year, the cases counted almost 20 million or more. In most cases, people fail to notice their cancer at an early stage. But if they could have done it, they might get well in a short amount of time. However, in this article, we are willing to teach you how to test yourself for lung cancer.
You wouldn’t believe that the cases have increased enormously because most people don’t know the symptoms, nor any risk factor. Half of them don’t even go for any test after noticing the symptoms. So it gets very tough to save their life in the last stage. visit here
So here, we will illustrate very basic question and their answer that everyone can clear their confusion. We will discuss the treatment of lung cancer, how to prevent lung cancer and what are the basic symptoms that are very easy to identify.
Table of Contents
What is lung cancer?
You may have heard of different kinds of cancer so far. Like blood cancer or brain cancer, lung cancer is one of them. Frankly, this cancer is one of the most dangerous among all.
Basically, lung cancer starts in the lung inside the human chest. After it began, lung cancer started to spread to other organs, including the brain. When it’s in the lung, it creates multiple difficulties. The most common problem it creates is a breathing problem, which is called shortness of breath.
Cancer is a kind of disease; in this disease, the cell’s body grows boundlessly. That means the enormous cell growth eventually blocks the lung and ends with death.
Lung cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. One of the leading causes of this disease right now is smoking.
What are the Common Signs and Symptoms?
It’s true that cancer attacks silently, but it makes noise before the final shot. If you understand the noise, we mean the symptoms, then there’s a bigger chance to fight back. To catch lung cancer in the early stage. You should understand the signs and symptoms properly. These symptoms are called stage 1 lung cancer symptoms
Shortness of Breath:
Shortness of breath or breathing problems is a very common symptom of lung cancer. Why is it a common sign? Well, when the cells become a tumor, it blocks the space where the air moves. The man who is affected by this disease can barely breathe like normal people.
If anybody experiences any breathing problem which has lasted more than one week, the person should immediately go to the hospital.
Dreadful Chest Pain:
The chest pain which has started because of lung cancer is dreadful. For this kind of case, the chest pain comes from the tumor which has grown in the lungs. Most often, the pain comes automatically, but sometimes it is only noticeable when you touch it or push it.
However, this is also a preliminary sign of lung cancer. So everybody should take unexpected chest pain very seriously. If it lasts for quite long, then never wait.
Bad Cough:
Honestly, coughing is a very chronic sickness for anybody. So it’s quite critical to understand the reason behind it. The only noticeable point you might observe would be the timing. Usually, the couch, which starts from lung cancer, lasts for a long time.
So whenever you see a coughing situation that seems terrible and does not go easily, you need a check-up.
Blood Came Out with Cough:
this is the extreme situation of persistent cough. In this case, blood comes out when the patient coughs strongly. This is a very dangerous situation. This is the next level of your persistent coughing.
So whenever you see, such things don’t even take time to think. You should go straight to the doctor.
How to test yourself for lung cancer? What tests are used to diagnose lung cancer?
There are multiple methods available for testing lung cancer. Among all the methods, we will talk about the most common systems that have been performed very often in hospitals.
Chest x-ray
Chest x-ray is the very fundamental and initial test that your doctor will do to you. Though this is not the final test, it will tell you the situation of your lungs. It also indicates how much area of your chest is being covered by cancer and so on.
The technology used here is called an electromagnetic wave. Compared to others, the X-ray test is inexpensive.
CT scan
Widely known CT scan is usually called a ‘Computed tomography scan. The main purpose of this machine is it can give a clear, detailed image of the lung. This is more like an X-ray but the next version. Where the X-ray usually takes one or two photos, CT scans take multiple photos. The reason behind this is to show a cross-sectional image that even provides more data about the affected area.
Using that, doctors can easily find the size and shape of cancer. By analyzing that, they can even find more properties that help to take further action. Other than lung cancer CT scans can be used on brain cancer, blood cancer, or liver cancer.
MRI scan
The full form of MRI is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Where X-ray uses the electromagnetic wave to capture the photo, MRI uses radio waves. Similar to the X-ray and CT scan, MRI’s duty also delivers a better and detailed image.
The X-ray and CT scans are usually less expensive to test, but the MRI is a little expensive, and it’s needed when the examiner needs a better image to analyze. MRI results usually help doctors to see the pathway where cancer has been moved. By analyzing the area, the doctor prepares the therapy and other sites.
PET scan
PET scan or Positron emission tomography is not a regular and normal scanning test. Because this scan needs something else to conduct prosperity, the doctor injects a chemical compound called FDG or fluorodeoxyglucose in the early stage. The purpose of this injection is to find out the malignant, which is active metabolically.
Fortunately, that data helps doctors to further decisions, such as where this cancer will spread next or if those therapies work well or not. Unfortunately, this test is very dangerous, so the doctor usually does not recommend this until anything gets worse.
Bone scan
Lung cancer is very dangerous, and it can eventually spread to different organs of the body or enemy in your bone. So a bone scan is really necessary to do.
To conduct the bone scan, you really need to get an injection that contains different chemical compounds. When it reaches all necessary bones, then the scan has happened. At the end of the test, the doctor can tell whether cancer has spread to the bone or not. So this one is also important.
What are some risk factors?
There are thousands of research papers that prove that lung cancer has many risk factors. And this risk factor is very dangerous. Let’s see some very common risk factors that can happen to anyone.
- Smoking – Smoking is one of the most common risk factors for lung cancer. And the funny thing is every single person knows that, but still, they are doing the same thing. Would you believe that cigarettes are directly linked to lung cancer, and almost 80% to 90% of cases happen because of this reason?
Other than cigarettes, any other tobacco product can be the reason for your cancer. So those who are currently consuming tobacco are on the hotlist. The risk is very high for those people.
- Radioactive therapy – The patient who had to use the radioactive therapy to their chest area is in the high-risk zone of lung cancer. So people should always try to avoid this therapy otherwise, it would be a bigger reason for your lung cancer.
- Diet – Yes, even any diet plan where the person needs to take supplements may be at risk of lung or similar cancer. So better not take any special supplement.
FAQs
Q1: What are the symptoms of lung cancer in females?
Ans: There are no specific symptoms that can only be noticed only in a female person. As we have seen earlier, the symptoms are always the same, and you guys are aware of that.
Q2: How accurate is a CT scan for lung cancer?
Ans: To get the data and image of your lung CT scan is undoubtedly a super accurate machine. Though its power is quite less than MRI machines, it has been used in the primary stage and is quite cheap to test.
Q3: How do you test yourself for lung cancer?
Ans: Unfortunately, there is still no easier method to test on your own. You always have to go through a long process to get the result.
Final Thoughts
Hope you get your expected solution from this article. We have given all common methods that have been used to test for lung cancer. Unfortunately, for those looking for an easier way to test themselves, that is still not possible.
Apart from that, we have covered almost everything regarding lung cancer. We have shown the common symptoms, risk factors, and most importantly. Otherwise, how do you test yourself for lung cancer?
