Doctors can detect lung cancer through a number of different tests.
The first step is usually a series of chest X-rays . These rays fall on a photographic plate placed behind or under you. When the photograph is exposed, it gives an image of the internal structure of your bones and organs. Along with CAT scans and MRIs, X-rays reveal information about the size, shape, and location of a tumor. Because CAT scans and MRIs can show the lungs, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body with much greater precision than X-rays, they can also pinpoint whether the cancer has spread from the lung to other parts of the chest or body.