Signs of lung cancer do not show up in blood work, but laboratory tests may be helpful in other ways. For example, blood work can provide information on a patient’s red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet counts, as well as liver and kidney function. Those test results can offer clues about a patient’s overall health so a physician can weigh the benefits and risks of various treatment options.
Researchers are working on developing blood tests that can be used to detect cancer. Some tests can detect early-stage lung cancer in a significant percentage of patients, but researchers need to continue their work to reduce the number of false positive results.
How Lung Cancer Is Diagnosed
Although lung cancer does not show up in blood work, doctors have other tools that can detect the presence of the disease. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, doctors may use imaging tests, including a CT scan, PET scan, and MRI to check for lung cancer. Physicians may also perform procedures such as a biopsy and needle aspiration to collect tissue samples for analysis.
Those types of diagnostic tests can help doctors figure out the stage of cancer based on the size and location of the tumor and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. An oncologist can then recommend an appropriate treatment plan, which may include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, and/or targeted therapy.
What Causes Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the second-most-common form of cancer and the deadliest. Although the primary cause of lung cancer is smoking, people can also develop it after being exposed to other carcinogens, such as asbestos and radon.
Asbestos and Radon
Asbestos is a group of fibers that occur naturally. They were previously mined and used in building materials, vehicle parts, and many household goods because of their strength and fire-resistant properties.
Construction workers, firefighters, members of the military, and others who worked around asbestos often suffered exposure to it over a long period of time. Employees were frequently unaware of the risk and were not given proper protective equipment. In many cases, workers developed lung cancer years or decades later. Their family members also sometimes became ill after being exposed to it, too.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), radon is a radioactive gas that is produced when uranium, thorium, and radium break down naturally in rocks, soil, and water. People who live and work in the lower levels of buildings may be unaware that they are being exposed to radon. Radon testing is available and relatively inexpensive, but many employers and landlords do not test for it or take other steps to protect the people who live and work in their buildings.
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You May Be Able to Get Financial Compensation for Your Lung Cancer
If you have lung cancer and you never smoked, or if you quit long before you were diagnosed, your cancer was possibly caused by a carcinogen such as asbestos or radon. The party that was responsible for your exposure may be liable for your lung cancer, and you may be entitled to a financial award to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may be able to help you pursue justice and seek compensation. We represent clients across the United States in personal injury cases. We work with people who suffered harm in a variety of ways due to the actions and negligence of others. Many of our clients developed cancer after being exposed to asbestos or radon.
Lung cancer is often diagnosed decades after exposure to a carcinogen. Our team can investigate to try to figure out what caused your lung cancer. We created a database with information on products that contained asbestos and the companies that manufactured and sold them. That helps us figure out how other clients suffered exposure to the carcinogen and may be able to help us find the source of your cancer. We may also be able to investigate to find out if a building where you lived or worked in the past had unsafe levels of radon.
Contact Our Firm Today for Legal Help
Our team may file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf. If you became sick after being exposed to asbestos and the company that was responsible has since declared bankruptcy, we may still be able to obtain compensation for you. Many businesses that declared bankruptcy due to a wave of asbestos-related lawsuits set up trust funds to compensate victims.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis. That means that if you hire us to represent you in a personal injury case, you will not have to pay us unless we obtain compensation for you. Call our office at (800) 217-6099 to discuss your case with a member of our staff.
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