The most important diagnostic tool remains the medical history: the character of the complaints and any specific symptoms. Often a physical examination will reveal the location of a malignancy.
Diagnostic methods include:
* Biopsy, either incisional or excisional;
* Endoscopy, either upper or lower gastrointestinal, bronchoscopy, or nasendoscopy;
* X-rays, CT scanning, MRI scanning, ultrasound and other radiological techniques;
* Scintigraphy, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Positron emission tomography and other methods of nuclear medicine;
* Blood tests, including Tumor markers, which can increase the suspicion of certain types of tumors or even be pathognomonic of a particular disease.
Apart from in diagnosis, these modalities are often used to determine operability, i.e. whether it is surgically possible to remove a tumor in its entirety.
Generally, a "tissue diagnosis" is considered essential for the proper identification of cancer. When this is not possible, "empirical therapy" may be given, based on the available evidence.
Occasionally, a metastatic lump or pathological lymph node is found for which a primary tumor cannot be found. This situation is referred to as "carcinoma of unknown primary", and again, treatment is empirical based on past experience of the most likely origin.
Diagnostic methods include:
* Biopsy, either incisional or excisional;
* Endoscopy, either upper or lower gastrointestinal, bronchoscopy, or nasendoscopy;
* X-rays, CT scanning, MRI scanning, ultrasound and other radiological techniques;
* Scintigraphy, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Positron emission tomography and other methods of nuclear medicine;
* Blood tests, including Tumor markers, which can increase the suspicion of certain types of tumors or even be pathognomonic of a particular disease.
Apart from in diagnosis, these modalities are often used to determine operability, i.e. whether it is surgically possible to remove a tumor in its entirety.
Generally, a "tissue diagnosis" is considered essential for the proper identification of cancer. When this is not possible, "empirical therapy" may be given, based on the available evidence.
Occasionally, a metastatic lump or pathological lymph node is found for which a primary tumor cannot be found. This situation is referred to as "carcinoma of unknown primary", and again, treatment is empirical based on past experience of the most likely origin.
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