How is Hodgkin’s disease diagnosed? If Hodgkin's disease is suspected, the doctor will ask about your medical history and will do a thorough physical exam. Blood tests and x-rays of the chest, bones, liver and spleen will also be done. Tissue from an enlarged lymph node will be removed. This is known as a biopsy. It is the only sure way to tell if cancer is present. A pathologist will look at the tissue under the microscope for Reed-Sternberg cells, abnormal cells that are usually found with Hodgkin's disease. When Hodgkin's disease is diagno...
How will my doctor know if I have ovarian cancer? Women who have regular pelvic exams increase the chance that, if ovarian cancer occurs, it will be found before the disease causes symptoms. However, pelvic exams often cannot find ovarian cancer at an early stage. Often, the doctor orders a blood test to measure a substance in the blood called CA-125. This substance, called a tumor marker, can be produced by ovarian cancer. However, CA-125 is not always present in women with ovarian cancer, and it may be present in women who have benign ovarian conditions....
Is a second opinion important for cervical cancer treatment? Before starting treatment, you may want a second pathologist to review the diagnosis and another specialist to review the treatment plan. Some insurance companies require a second opinion; others may cover second opinion if the patient requests it. It may take a week or two to arrange for a second opinion. This short delay will not reduce the chance that treatment will be successful. A gynecologic oncologist is usually in the best position to offer a patient an expert opinion on the diagnosis and management...
Biopsy for cervical cancer diagnose The doctor may remove a small amount of cervical tissue to be evaluated by a pathologist. In one type of biopsy the doctor uses an instrument to pinch off small pieces of cervical tissue.
How will I be diagnosed for colorectal cancer? To find the cause of symptoms, the doctor will ask about your personal and family medical history. He will do a physical exam, and may order laboratory tests. In addition to the exams discussed above, the doctor may also order the following tests: Lower GI series – X-rays of the colon and rectum (the lower gastrointestinal tract). The x-rays are taken after the patient is given an enema with a white, chalky solution containing barium. (This test is sometimes called a barium enema.) The barium outlines the c...
How do you diagnose thyroid cancer? The doctor will ask about your medical history and will do a careful physical exam, with special attention to feeling your thyroid and checking for lumps in the neck. You may also be asked to have a blood test or special scans. The best screening test for a thyroid nodule is a good examination of the neck by your primary care physician. Most internists, family doctors and obstetricians/gynecologists perform examination of the neck during routine checkups, and nodules can often be found in this way. Sometim...
How do you diagnose endocrine cancer? The doctor will ask about your medical history and will do a careful physical exam. You most likely will be asked to give blood for hormone measurements, and you may also be asked to have an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI to enable the doctor to determine where the growth is located and whether it has spread. The only sure way to tell whether cancer is present is with a biopsy. The doctor removes a small sample of tumor tissue, which is examined under a microscope by a pathologist. If cancer cells are found, th...
