Thymus cancer diagnosis

Verifying thymus cancer diagnosis is a key part of the future successful treatment, allowing patients and medical practitioners to avoid any unnecessary and potentially harmful actions. Diagnostic tools help confirm the tumor's size, location, and type. The first part of the diagnostic process begins by examining the patient's previous medical records to find clues that might confirm or disprove the thymus tumor. Next, medical practitioners discuss current health and symptoms with the patient. Oncologists perform a physical examination and prescribe additional lab tests to help establish the thymus cancer diagnosis. Along with a complete blood count, inflammation blood test, and biochemical panel, the patient needs to undergo a tumor marker analysis, which helps to reveal any cancer-related highly-specific substances in the blood. The final confirmation of the thymus cancer diagnosis is usually achieved via the results of chest X-ray and CT scans. Both methods allow doctors to obtain visual clues of a neoplasm's presence in the chest. Occasionally, physicians might request to conduct a biopsy (extracting a small part of the tumor) with further examination to confirm the thymus cancer cells.