Definition: Occult lung cancer is defined as lung cancer cells that are found in the sputum, but a tumor can't be found on imaging studies such as CT or MRI, or during a bronchoscopy.
Also Known As: occult stage lung cancer, occult stage non-small cell lung cancer
Examples:
John was told he had occult stage non-small cell lung cancer, after a sputum cytology test showed lung cancer cells. But his doctor was unable to find the cancer on his CT scan, MRI scan, or during his bronchoscopy.
