Cancer Detection (cont.)
What are symptoms of cancer?
You should see your doctor for regular checkups and not wait
for
problems to occur. But you should also know that the following
symptoms
may be associated with cancer: changes in bowel or bladder
habits, a sore
that does not heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening
or lump in
the breast or any other part of the body, indigestion or
difficulty
swallowing, obvious change in a wart or mole, or nagging cough
or
hoarseness. These symptoms are not always a sign of cancer.
They can also
be caused by less serious conditions. Only a doctor can make a
diagnosis.
It is important to see a doctor if you have any of these
symptoms. Don't
wait to feel pain. Early cancer usually does not cause pain.
How is cancer diagnosed?
If you have a sign or symptom that might mean cancer, the
doctor will do
a physical exam and ask about your medical history. In
addition, the
doctor usually orders various tests and exams. These may
include imaging
procedures, which produce pictures of areas inside the body,
endoscopy,
which allows the doctor to look directly inside certain organs,
and
laboratory tests. In most cases, the doctor also orders a
biopsy, a
procedure in which a sample of tissue is removed. A pathologist
examines
the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Imaging
Images of areas inside the body help the doctor tell whether a
tumor is
present. These images can be made in several ways. In many
cases, the
doctor uses a special dye so that certain organs show up better
on film.
The dye may be swallowed or put into the body through a needle
or a tube.
X-rays are the most common way doctors made pictures of the
inside of
the body. In a special kind of x-ray imaging, a CT or CAT scan
uses a
computer linked to an x-ray machine to make a series of
detailed pictures.
In radionuclide scanning, the patient swallows or is given an
injection
of a mildly radioactive substance. A machine (scanner) measures
radioactivity levels in certain organs and prints a picture on
paper or
films. By looking at the amount of radioactivity in the organs,
the doctor
can find abnormal areas.
Ultrasonography is another procedure for viewing the inside of
the body.
High-frequency sound waves that cannot be heard by humans enter
the body
and bounce back. Their echoes produce a picture called a
sonogram. These
pictures are shown on a monitor like a TV screen and can be
printed on
paper.
In MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make
detailed
pictures of areas in the body. These pictures are viewed on a
monitor and
can also be printed.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy allows the doctor to look into the body through a
thin,
lighted tube called an endoscope. The exam is named for the
organ involved
(for example, colonoscopy to look inside the colon). During the
exam, the
doctor may collect tissue or cells for closer examination.
Laboratory Tests
Although no single test can be used to diagnose cancer,
laboratory tests
such as blood and urine tests give the doctor important
information. If
cancer is present, the lab work can show the effects of the
disease on the
body. In some cases, special tests are used to measure the
amount of
certain substances in the blood, urine, and other body fluids,
or tumor
tissue. The levels of these substances may become abnormal when
certain
kinds of cancer are present.
Biopsy
The physical exam, imaging, endoscopy, and lab tests can show
that
something abnormal is present, but a biopsy is the only sure
way to know
whether the problem is cancer. In a biopsy, the doctor removes
a sample of
tissue from the abnormal area or may remove the whole tumor. A
pathologist
examines the tissue under a microscope. If cancer is present,
the
pathologist can usually tell what kind of cancer it is and may
be able to
judge whether the cells are likely to grow slowly or quickly.
Staging
When cancer is found, the patient's doctor needs to know the
stage, or
extent, of the disease to plan the best treatment. The doctor
may order
various tests and exams to find out whether the cancer has
spread and, if
so, what parts of the body are affected. In some cases, lymph
nodes near
the tumor are removed and checked for cancer cells. If cancer
cells are
found in the lymph nodes, it may mean that the cancer has
spread to other
organs.
Next: How is cancer treated? »
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