Diagnosis
If you have a symptom or your screening test result suggests cancer, the doctor
must find out whether it is due to cancer or to some other cause. The doctor
may ask about your personal and family medical history and do a physical exam.
The doctor also may order lab tests, x-rays, or other tests or procedures.
Tests of the blood, urine, or other fluids can help doctors make a diagnosis.
These tests can show how well an organ (such as the kidney) is doing its job.
Also, high amounts of some substances may be a sign of cancer. These substances
are often called
tumor markers. However, abnormal lab
results are not a sure sign of cancer. Doctors cannot rely on lab tests alone
to diagnose cancer.
The NCI offers several fact sheets about lab tests. See the "National
Cancer Institute Publications" section to learn how to get fact sheets.
Imaging procedure create pictures of
areas inside your body that help the doctor see whether a tumor is present.
These pictures can be made in several ways:
-
X-rays: X-rays are the most common way to view organs and bones
inside the body.
-
CT scan: An x-ray machine
linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of your organs. You
may receive a contrast material (such as dye) to make these pictures easier to
read.
-
Radionuclide scan: You
receive an injection of a small amount of radioactive material. It flows
through your bloodstream and collects in certain bones or organs. A machine
called a scanner detects and measures the radioactivity. The scanner creates
pictures of bones or organs on a computer screen or on film. Your body gets rid
of the radioactive substance quickly.
-
Ultrasound: An ultrasound
device sends out sound waves that people cannot hear. The waves bounce off
tissues inside your body like an echo. A computer uses these echoes to create a
picture called a
sonogram.
-
MRI: A strong magnet linked
to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas in your body. Your
doctor can view these pictures on a monitor and can print them on film.
-
PET scan: You receive an
injection of a small amount of radioactive material. A machine makes pictures
that show chemical activities in the body. Cancer cells sometimes show up as
areas of high activity.
In most cases, doctors need to do a
biopsy to make a diagnosis of
cancer. For a biopsy, the doctor removes a sample of tissue and sends it to a
lab. A
pathologist looks at the tissue
under a microscope. The sample may be removed in several ways:
-
With a needle: The doctor uses a needle to withdraw tissue or fluid.
-
With an endoscope: The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube (an endoscope)
to look at areas inside the body. The doctor can remove tissue or cells through
the tube.
-
With surgery: Surgery may be
excisional or
incisional.
-
In an excisional biopsy, the
surgeon removes the entire tumor.
Often some of the normal tissue around the tumor also is removed.
-
In an incisional biopsy, the surgeon removes just part of the tumor.
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The pathologist uses a microscope to look at tissue. |
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having a biopsy:
-
Where will I go for the biopsy?
-
How long will it take? Will I be awake? Will it hurt?
-
Are there any risks? What are the chances of
infection or bleeding after the
procedure?
-
How soon will I know the results?
-
If I do have cancer, who will talk to me about the next steps? When?
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