A 55-year-old male with a history of smoking presents with persistent cough
Question : A 55-year-old male with a history of smoking presents with persistent cough, hemoptysis, and weight loss for 3 months. What is the most important diagnostic test?
A. Chest X-ray
B. Chest computed tomography (CT)
C. Sputum cytology
D. Bronchoscopy with biopsy
Answer: D
Explanation: The patient has high-risk factors for lung cancer (smoking history) and typical symptoms (persistent cough, hemoptysis, weight loss). Bronchoscopy can directly observe the tracheobronchial mucosa and obtain tissue samples for pathological examination, which is the gold standard for diagnosing lung cancer. Chest X-ray and CT are screening tools but cannot confirm the diagnosis; sputum cytology has low sensitivity. Therefore, the correct answer is D.
