Radiology of lung cancer and staging Flashcards
What proportion of patients present with advanced disease?
2/3
In a CXR what are you looking for at the mediastinum?
hilar vascular structures to be crisply defined
no widening
central trachea
In a CXR what are you looking for at the lungs?
comparison of zones
between ribs for detail
Where should you always remember to look where tumours often hide?
behind the heart
Name the 4 review areas
hila
lung apices
behind the heart
behind the diaphragm
What is a CT used to determine?
size of lesion
What is a pulmonary mass?
opacity in the lung over 3cm with no mediastinal adenopathy or atelectasis
What does atelectasis mean?
partial collapse or incomplete inflation of the lung
What does adenopathy mean?
a diseased condition in a gland or lymph node, e.g. inflammation or enlargement
What is a pulmonary nodule?
opacity in lung up to 3cm with no mediastinal adenopathy or atelectasis
What does the T mean in TNM staging?
how big it is and how far it has spread/ size and position
What does the N mean in TNM staging?
spread to lymph nodes
What does M mean in TNM staging?
Metastases
Name some ways to diagnose the tissue
bronchoscopy and EBUS
image guided biopsy
sample the nodes
Limitations of PET CT
false positives and negatives
