|[[Image:IJRI-25-109-g010.jpg|thumb|300px|Metastatic disease. Bilateral pleural effusions-M1a (arrow, A), lung metastases-M1a (arrows, B), adrenal metastasis-M1b (arrow, C), vertebral metastasis-M1b (arrow, D), brain metastasis-M1b (arrow, E), liver metastases-M1b (arrows, F)via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F10/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|[[Image:IJRI-25-109-g010.jpg|thumb|300px|Metastatic disease. Bilateral pleural effusions-M1a (arrow, A), lung metastases-M1a (arrows, B), adrenal metastasis-M1b (arrow, C), vertebral metastasis-M1b (arrow, D), brain metastasis-M1b (arrow, E), liver metastases-M1b (arrows, F)via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F10/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|- [[Image:IJRI-25-109-g011.jpg|thumb|300px|Adrenal adenoma versus metastasis. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in a case of lung cancer (arrow, A) suggestive of metastatic deposit. Unenhanced CT scan shows fatty attenuation within the nodule with an HU value of 0 suggesting the possibility of an adenoma (arrow, B). FDG PET/CT shows no tracer concentration in the nodule, confirming the diagnosis of adenoma. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in another patient of lung cancer (arrow, D), which is indeterminate in nature. FDG PET/CT shows abnormal focal tracer concentration in the nodule (arrow, E) highly suggestive of a metastatic deposit via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F11/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|[[Image:IJRI-25-109-g011.jpg|thumb|300px|Adrenal adenoma versus metastasis. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in a case of lung cancer (arrow, A) suggestive of metastatic deposit. Unenhanced CT scan shows fatty attenuation within the nodule with an HU value of 0 suggesting the possibility of an adenoma (arrow, B). FDG PET/CT shows no tracer concentration in the nodule, confirming the diagnosis of adenoma. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in another patient of lung cancer (arrow, D), which is indeterminate in nature. FDG PET/CT shows abnormal focal tracer concentration in the nodule (arrow, E) highly suggestive of a metastatic deposit via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F11/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|[[Image:IJRI-25-109-g011.jpg|thumb|300px|Adrenal adenoma versus metastasis. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in a case of lung cancer (arrow, A) suggestive of metastatic deposit. Unenhanced CT scan shows fatty attenuation within the nodule with an HU value of 0 suggesting the possibility of an adenoma (arrow, B). FDG PET/CT shows no tracer concentration in the nodule, confirming the diagnosis of adenoma. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in another patient of lung cancer (arrow, D), which is indeterminate in nature. FDG PET/CT shows abnormal focal tracer concentration in the nodule (arrow, E) highly suggestive of a metastatic deposit via<[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F1/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F11/]>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|[[Image:IJRI-25-109-g012.jpg|thumb|300px|Brain metastases in asymptomatic patient, CT scan versus MRI. MRI brain in a patient of lung cancer shows multiple tiny enhancing foci scattered in the parenchyma bilaterally (arrows in A and B) suggestive of metastatic lesions. Corresponding contrast CT scan sections of the brain show no obvious lesions (C and D). Note the beam hardening effects due to bone, leading to a loss of resolution on the CT images (C and D)|thumb|300px|via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F12/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
|- [[Image:IJRI-25-109-g012.jpg|thumb|300px|Adrenal adenoma versus metastasis. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in a case of lung cancer (arrow, A) suggestive of metastatic deposit. Unenhanced CT scan shows fatty attenuation within the nodule with an HU value of 0 suggesting the possibility of an adenoma (arrow, B). FDG PET/CT shows no tracer concentration in the nodule, confirming the diagnosis of adenoma. Enhancing solid adrenal nodule on CT scan in another patient of lung cancer (arrow, D), which is indeterminate in nature. FDG PET/CT shows abnormal focal tracer concentration in the nodule (arrow, E) highly suggestive of a metastatic deposit via<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419420/figure/F12/>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.<ref name="PurandareRangarajan2015">{{cite journal|last1=Purandare|first1=NilenduC|last2=Rangarajan|first2=Venkatesh|title=Imaging of lung cancer: Implications on staging and management|journal=Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging|volume=25|issue=2|year=2015|pages=109|issn=0971-3026|doi=10.4103/0971-3026.155831}}</ref>]]
Chest CT scan may be helpful in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Findings on CT scan suggestive of lung cancer include, a solitary pulmonary nodule, centrally located masses, mediastinal invasion
CT scans help stage the lung cancer. A CT scan of the abdomen and brain can help visualize the common sights of metastases: adrenal glands, liver, and brain. CT scans diagnose lung cancer by providing anatomical detail to locate the tumor, demonstrating proximity to nearby structures, and deciphering whether lymph nodes are enlarged in the mediastinum.
CT Scan
Chest CT scan may be helpful in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Findings on CT scan suggestive of lung cancer include:[1]
CT scans help stage the lung cancer. A CT scan of the abdomen and brain can help visualize the common sights of metastases: adrenal glands, liver, and brain.
The benefits of CT Scans in lung cancer patients are the following:[2]
Unfortunately, research has shown that there are a number of false positives associated with CT scanning because a CT scan on its own cannot determine malignancy.
A positive result for a tumor using a CT scan is typically followed up with a biopsy for confirmation.