Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Effective lung cancer treatment starts with a detailed, accurate diagnosis. At Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, we offer some of the latest approaches in lung cancer diagnostics.

Our patients experience better outcomes thanks to tools like lung scans that detect cancers early and lung cancer liquid biopsies that identify the cancer’s weaknesses. We also offer resources to help you quit smoking and prevent lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Diagnosis: Why Choose Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health?

Accurate diagnosis and staging (determining if cancer has spread) are critical for people with lung cancer. Your team at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health includes surgeons, pulmonologists (lung specialists), medical oncologists, diagnostic radiologists and pathologists with access to sophisticated diagnostic tools.

While you may see just one of us, we discuss diagnoses together. That way you get the full scope of our lung cancer expertise right from the start. We also offer:

• Advanced diagnostics: Molecular diagnostics, also known as precision medicine, precisely identifies the molecular (genetic) changes in cancer cells. If a tumor has these changes (tumor targets), you can be treated with highly targeted therapies that are often more successful and less toxic than traditional cancer treatments. The Association of Community Cancer Centers, an organization whose membership represents over 60 percent of cancer care professionals in the U.S., recognizes our molecular testing program as a best practice.
• Timely care: Lung cancer can spread quickly, which is why we work to get new patients in within 24 hours. We mark most lung cancer cases as “rush” cases to speed up all tests and treatment discussions and avoid lags during the process.
• Accurate diagnosis: During a lung cancer biopsy, we remove a small sample of lung tissue to check for cancer. To ensure nothing is missed or overlooked, our pathologists (lab physicians) double-read these samples. That means two pathologists always analyze each sample to confirm each other’s findings.
• Oncology nurse navigator: Our lung cancer nurse navigator is with you from the start, making sure you understand and remember what’s said at your first appointment and coordinating next steps. This nurse navigator stays with you during each stage of your care, providing support, education and a direct line to your health care team. Meet our lung cancer team.
• Smoking cessation help: Quitting smoking is one of the best steps you can take for your health. We offer a variety of programs to help you live tobacco-free, including group classes, one-on-one counseling and other resources.
• World-class lab: Lab quality matters—more than 80 percent of all medical decisions are based on lab test results. Our clinical laboratory not only has the standard U.S. accreditation, we are one of few labs in the U.S. that’s ISO 15189 accredited. ISO 15189 accreditation is an international quality standard for medical labs. Our lab was also the 2019 MLO (Medical Laboratory Observer) lab of the year for our contributions to quality care.
• Early detection program: The earlier you find lung cancer, the easier it is to treat. But lung cancer symptoms often don’t show up before it has spread. Our lung cancer screening program is one of the busiest in the region. This experience means we find lung nodules that others might miss, so you receive treatment when it matters most.

How We Diagnose Lung Cancer

We know you’re anxious for answers. And we consider it our job to reduce your stress. That’s why we make the diagnostic process as easy for you as possible.

Before your first appointment, we determine what support services you may need, including financial counseling and transportation help. We also make every effort to work with your schedule when setting up appointments for things like lung cancer tests and scans.

During your first appointment, we perform a physical exam and gather information about your medical history. We may also recommend lung cancer tests, including:

• Lung scans: We use advanced lung scans, including CTs and MRIs, which show detailed images inside the lungs.
• Liquid biopsy: Liquid biopsy—developed at Penn Medicine—is a simple lung cancer blood test that shows whether you have tumor targets that might respond to targeted therapy.
• Sputum cytology: Doctors analyze a mucus sample (sputum) to see if it has cancer cells.
• Thoracentesis: Doctors remove fluid from around your lungs to look for cancer cells.
• Lung cancer biopsy: During lung cancer biopsies, doctors remove tissue or fluid from the lung and surrounding areas. A pathologist then views the sample under a microscope to look for cancer cells. Your pathologist also performs next-generation tumor sequencing to identify the drugs the cancer is most likely to respond to.
• Bronchoscopy: Doctors use a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and lens (bronchoscope) to get a better look at suspicious areas seen on imaging tests.
• Procedures to determine if lung cancer has spread: Lung cancer imaging tests like ultrasounds and procedures like thoracoscopy allow doctors to examine tissues, organs and lymph nodes around your lungs to check for cancer.