Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Your health care provider will look at your medical history, smoking history, exposure to substances, and a family history of cancer. You will also have a physical exam and maybe a chest x-ray and other tests. Your provider may order a bronchoscopy. During this test, a special instrument is inserted into your bronchial tubes to view the tubes and take a biopsy (remove cells or tissue) to see if there are cancer cells present.

As with other types of cancer, lung cancer can be treated in a number of different ways, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The kind of treatment depends on the stage or extent of the cancer, the individual's age, and overall health. Most lung cancer is hard to treat. The best way to fight lung cancer begins when you are young and well - by making the decision never to smoke.