How is duodenal cancer diagnosed?

How is duodenal cancer diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use a process called staging to diagnose cancer:

• Stages 0 to 1 mean you only have cancer in one part of your body.
• Stages 2 to 3 mean cancer has spread through the muscle and/or invades into nearby organs/structures including regional lymph nodes.
• Stage 4 means cancer is widespread to distant parts of your body.

To diagnose cancer and determine its stage, your healthcare provider may use several tests, including:

• Imaging tests, such as MRIs and CT scans, to get a detailed picture of your GI tract.
• Upper endoscopy, using a small, flexible tube with a camera to look inside your GI tract.
• Barium swallow test, swallowing a small amount of a chemical called barium that shows up brightly on X-rays to get a detailed look at your upper GI tract.
• Biopsy, removing a small portion of tissue from your GI tract to examine in a lab for signs of cancer.