|
|||
   |
|||
How do you diagnose it?
Suggested Links:
Patients typically undergo a number of diagnostic tests before a definitive diagnosis of stomach cancer can be made. Tests may include GI endoscopy, upper GI series, endoscopic ultrasound, CT scans, and others. Once a definitive diagnosis of stomach cancer has been reached, your physician will need to "stage" your cancer - or determine how far the tumor has spread - to devise the best treatment plan. Staging is based on information gathered from the diagnostic tests described below, or any other tests that may have been ordered, including routine laboratory tests. Stomach cancer staging is based on the TNM classification system, which assesses the extent of the primary tumor, lymph node involvement, and any distant metastases. Classification ranges from Stage 0 (early-stage cancer) to Stage IV (metastatic cancer). A detailed discussion of the various stages of stomach cancer and the appropriate treatment options for each can be found at: www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/gastric/patient/.
We are here for education, support and to help you navigate your way through your diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Call (925) 947-3322.
John Muir Health offers the full spectrum of advanced technology used in diagnosing and staging stomach and other GI cancers:
GI endoscopy (also called gastroscopy) is considered the best diagnostic tool for examining the internal structure of the stomach. During the procedure, an endoscope (or gastroscope) - a thin, flexible, lighted fiber-optic viewing tube - is inserted in the patient's mouth and guided down the esophagus into the stomach. A tiny camera at the end of the endoscope enables the physician to view the internal lining of the stomach, and determine if there are any areas of irritation, inflammation, or abnormal tissue growth. During endoscopy, physicians can also check for the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacterium, and collect tissue samples for examination (a process known as biopsy). The definitive diagnosis of stomach cancer is made by microscopic evaluation of these tissue specimens by our board-certified pathologists.
Another commonly performed test for visualizing the stomach is the upper GI series (or barium x-ray). The procedure uses a continuous x-ray technique known as fluoroscopy, which enables the physician to observe the GI tract real-time after the patient swallows a solution containing barium. Since barium is radiopaque - which means that x-rays cannot pass through - it shows up as white on the x-ray, outlining the esophagus and stomach. This enables the physician to determine if any obstructions or anatomic defects are present in the GI tract.
Endoscopic ultrasound is an innovative new test that brings together the technologies of endoscopy and ultrasound to help the physician determine how far the cancer has progressed within the stomach lining, and whether there is any spread to lymph nodes and other organs. An endoscope (described above) bearing a small ultrasound probe is inserted into the stomach via the esophagus. This probe bounces sound waves off the walls of the stomach, which produces pictures that are projected onto a screen for analysis.
Physicians may also order a CT scan (computed tomography) to garner more information about any local or distant spread of the tumor. CT is a computer-enhanced x-ray procedure that provides a high level of structural detail by recording cross-sectional images from many different angles. A new, state-of-the-art diagnostic tool now available at John Muir Health is an integrated CT and PET scanner. PET (positron emission tomography) scanning entails the injection of a special radionuclide glucose that migrates to areas of high metabolic activity, suggestive of cancer. The combination of these two important diagnostic tools arms the physician with an unprecedented level of useful information.
[back to top]