Test Lung Biography
(Source google.com)
Diffusing capacity measures the
transfer of gas from air in the lung, to the red blood cells in lung blood
vessles. It is part of a comprehensive series of tests (pulmonary function
testing) to determine the overall ability of the lung to transport gas into and
out of the blood. DLCO is reduced in certain diseases of the lung and heart.
measurement has been standardized according to a position paper by a task force
of the European Respiratory and American Thoracic Societies. In respiratory
physiology, the diffusing capacity has a long history of great utility,
representing conductance of gas across the alveolar-capillary membrane and also
takes into account factors affecting the behaviour of a given gas with
hemoglobin
The term may be considered a
misnomer as it represents neither diffusion nor a capacity (as it is typically
measured under submaximal conditions) nor capacitance. In addition, gas
transport is only diffusion limited in extreme cases, such as for oxygen uptake
at very low ambient oxygen or very high pulmonary blood flow. While the term
diffusing capacity is retained in the United States for reasons of historical
continuity, terminology using transfer factor is now preferred in Europe and
elsewhere. Nevertheless, there are 7 - 8 times more citations for the original
terminology in PubMed, so any change in usage will be slow to happen.
The diffusing capacity does not
directly measure the primary cause of hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen, namely
mismatch of ventilation to perfusion: The single-breath diffusing capacity test
is the most common way to determine. The test is performed by having the
subject blow out all of the air that he/she can, leaving only the residual lung
volume of gas. The person then inhales a test gas mixture rapidly and completely,
reaching the total lung capacity as nearly as possible. This test gas mixture
contains a small amount of carbon monoxide (usually 0.3%) and a tracer gas that
is freely distributed throughout the alveolar space but which doesn't cross the
alveolar-capillary membrane. Helium and methane are two such gasses. The test
gas is held in the lung for about 10 seconds during which time the CO (but not
the tracer gas) continuously moves from the alveoli into the blood. Then the
subject exhales. The anatomy of the airways brings
with it complications, since the inspired air must pass through the mouth,
trachea, bronchi and bronchioles before it gets to the alveoli where gas
exchange will occur; on exhalation, alveolar gas must return along the same
path, and so the exhaled sample will be purely alveolar only after a 500 to
1,000 ml of gas has left the subject. While it is algebraically possible to
approximate the effects of anatomy (the three-equation method, disease states
introduce considerable uncertainty to this approach. Instead, the first 500 to
1,000 ml of the expired. Anyone can have lung cancer, regardless of age, race, or smoking history. But not all lung cancers are the same. According to recent studies, more than 50% of NSCLC cases are linked to one of at least 10 currently known molecular biomarkers. These biomarkers identify the gene mutations that drive some So more than half of people with NSCLC will test positive for a biomarker. Many of these biomarkers can be treated, either with an approved therapy, or one that is being investigated in clinical trials. Or they may not be positive for any biomarkers at all.1-3,4
A few of the more common biomarkers seen in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) include: KRAS, also called Kras, K-RAS, or KRAS2, is a gene that is important in cell growth and tumor development. The KRAS gene is mutated in about 25% of NSCLC cases. Patients are usually tested for the KRAS and EGFR biomarkers at the same time, because the presence of both may inform treatment options.
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