Radiology of Lung Cancer And Staging Flashcards
When doing a systemic review of a chest X-Ray, list the order in which items should be viewed
Name/marker/rotation/ penetration Lines/metal work Heart Mediastinum Lungs [Zones (upper/middle/lower)] Bones Diaphragm Soft Tissues
How defined should the hilar vascular be in the mediastimum when viewing an X-Ray
Crisply defined
Name 2 normal features of an X-Ray of the mediastinum
No widening of the mediastinum
Trachea should be central
Where can some of the tumours be located in the mediastinum
Centrally
What zones of the lung should be compared in an X-Ray
Upper, Middle and Lower
When observing an X-Ray of the lung, what details should be looked for
Details should be looked for:
Between the ribs and heart
Always look ‘behind’ the heart
How will lesions show on a chest X-Ray and where could they be
They are subtler
Could behind the heart and hila
What should a patients chest X-Rays be compared with
Previous films
What are the main review areas of a chest X-Ray
Hila
Lung apices
Behind the heart
Behind the diaphragm
What will a patient with a Pancoast tumour present with
Arm pain/weakness
Horner’s syndrome
Invasion of brachial plexus
What is the next step after confirming that a lesion is intrapulmonary
CT
What will a CT scan allow the evaluation of
Size Shape atelectasis Border Density Solid or non-solid Dynamic contrast enhancement >25 HU Growth
What is a pulmonary mass
An opacity in lung over 3cm with no mediastinal adenopathy or atelectasis
What is a pulmonary nodule
An opacity in lung up to 3cm with no mediastinal adenopathy or atelectasis
What can comparing previous films to each other help determine
What has changes
What is lung cancer staging dependent on
Clinical history/examination
Performance status (e.g. fitness, independence etc.)
Pulmonary function
TNM International system – tumour, nodes and metastases
What does the T in TNM staging question
How big is the tumour, how far has it spread/size and position of the tumour
What does the N in TNM staging question
Whether cancer cells have spread into the lymph nodes
What does the M in TNM staging question
Whether the tumour has spread anywhere else in the body (metastases)
What type of imaging is used for T in TNM staging
CT
PET-CT
Bronchoscopy
What type of imaging is used for N in TNM staging
PER-CT
Mediastinoscopy
CT
EBUS/EUS