Thursday, October 1, 2009

Can Lung Cancer be detected in a chest x-ray when you have pneumonia

Can Lung Cancer be detected in a chest x-ray when you have pneumonia?
I recently went in to the doctor because I had a persistent cough. It started at the beginning of summer, lasted for about 6 weeks and went away for about a month. Then my cough came back and I went to the doctor for it again. They took a chest x-ray as well as a CVC. They ultimately concluded that it was walking pneumonia and sent me off with Pulmicort Flexhaler. After a couple of days I wasn't getting better so I went back to the doctor and they gave me a z-pack, some cough medicine, and prednisone(sp?). Although my cough seems to be getting better I am still having small chest pains and it is igniting my fears of lung cancer. My question is, although I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, would the doctor have been able to tell if a lung tumor was present in my x-ray or could there have been a mistake?
Cancer - 4 Answers
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1 :
if it is large enough it would of showed on an x-ray. I would give it another week or so and then go back. Pneumonia can take 3 months to fully go away. I know someone who had a very small tumor of lung cancer and he started coughing blood, it is probably lingering pneumonia. Rest as much as possible and any doubt call for an appointment.
2 :
Chest xrays (CXR) are notoriously poor at finding lung cancers in their early stages. Any pneumonia could have been a complication of a lung tumor. Every pneumonia should have a repeat CXR 6 weeks after treatment is started. It is unlikely that your doctor saw a lung tumor on xray while a pneumonia obscures it. It is also relatively unlikely that you have a lung tumor at all.
3 :
Absolutely- that's how my sister found out that her breast cancer had metastasized after 13 years. However-if your doctor had seen a shadow on the x-ray, or anything questionable, he definitely would have ordered further tests. It's not really unusual to have chest pains if you have had a cough for a while.
4 :
Yes, lung cancer can be found in a chest x-ray. cough, or persistant cough is one of the symptoms of lung cancer. Other symptoms include: coughing up phelem or blood pain when coughing shortness of breath

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