Whether lung cancer has spread can be determined through examination and clinical manifestations.
1. Examination: For patients suspected of spreading of lung cancer, they can undergo CT of chest or abdomen, emission tomography, cranial magnetic resonance imaging, whole body bone scanning, liver and gallbladder ultrasound and other imaging examinations. These examinations can clarify whether the cancer cells have metastasis in lung, lymph node metastasis, brain metastasis, bone metastasis, liver and gallbladder metastasis.
2. Thoracoscopy to determine whether the cancer has spread to the spaces between the lungs and the chest wall, or to the mucous membranes in these spaces.
2. Clinical manifestations: when lung cancer spreads to adjacent organs or tissues, it may cause corresponding clinical symptoms. If lung cancer invades chest wall, it may cause chest pain; if lung cancer spreads to mediastinal lymph nodes, it may cause hoarseness; in addition, if lung cancer spreads to bones, it may cause pathologic fracture and bone pain; if lung cancer invades central system, it may manifest as hemiplegia, headache, nausea, etc. It is recommended that patients need to consult doctor in time when they have lung cancer.
It is suggested that patients with lung cancer need to consult doctors in time, and doctors will judge whether lung cancer has spread according to patients’ examination results and clinical manifestations.