How does a pathologist diagnose squamous cell lung carcinoma?
Your primary care physician will conduct a thorough physical examination and gather a sample of sputum for the pathologist to examine for traces of blood, bacteria, infectious organisms and cancer cells. If the sputum test does not provide a definite diagnosis, your primary care physician may prescribe further tests, which may include a chest x-ray or bronchoscopy. By viewing a chest x-ray, the radiologist can detect a mass in the lungs or enlarged lymph nodes in the chest. Bronchoscopy is an examination of the windpipe and lung branches with a flexible scope. If there appears there may be a mass in your lungs, your primary care physician or oncologist may order a CT or MRI scan or a needle biopsy. CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans produce chest images that assist pathologists to better determine the nature, position or extent of a mass. CT is also used to guide a needle biopsy, which gathers cell samples from a suspicious area for the pathologist to ex
