A patient with a 35-pack year smoking history reports having…

A patient with a 35-pack year smoking history reports having a chronic cough. The patient is now noticing pink, frothy, blood tinged sputum on the tissue after coughing. The chest radiograph shows a possible nodule in the right upper lobe. What diagnostic test is indicated at this time?  

A 50-year-old patient comes to the clinic with a dry cough,…

A 50-year-old patient comes to the clinic with a dry cough, weight loss, night sweats and fatigue. A chest x-ray reveals small, homogenous infiltrates in the upper lobe of the right lung. Given the most likely cause of this patient’s symptoms, which tests will be most useful to confirm a diagnosis?