Diagnosis Of Cancer

Certain cancer symptoms described in detail in each of the separate organ specific cancer chapters, suggest that there might be an underlying cancer. The doctor will do cancer screening tests, which will diagnose cancer or rule it out. Often there are more non specific cancer tests like the blood in stool test. But if the test is positive for blood, the doctor will refer the patient for a more specific test, a colonoscopy procedure, to a gastroenterologist or surgeon.

To complete this example, if the colonoscopy confirms a cancerous polyp, the doctor will now likely examine carefully to rule out an enlarged liver, fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and do some more blood tests to rule out liver metastases by checking liver enzymes and doing more specific cancer blood tests such as the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Other tests such as ultrasound of the liver and a bone scan might be ordered, depending on the clinical situation. Details of cancer staging can be found in the various cancer chapters below (click on links).

Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

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13. Cancer: Principles &Practice of Oncology.4th edition. Edited by Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott, Philadelphia,PA, 1993. Chapter 70:"Unsound methods of cancer treatment", page 2734 -2747.

14. Cancer: Principles&Practice of Oncology. 5th edition, volume 1. Edited by Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. et al. Lippincott-Raven Publ., Philadelphia,PA, 1997. The data from the tables on p. 236-237 were condensed and the figures rounded off to the nearest full number.

15. C Dong et al. Int J Cancer 2001 Apr 1;92(1):144-150.

Last Modified: Jan. 27, 2007