What tests can diagnose appendix cancer?

What tests can diagnose appendix cancer?

If your healthcare provider suspects appendix cancer, then they may recommend more testing. These tests may include:

• Imaging tests. Your healthcare provider may recommend CT scans or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). These imaging tests take pictures of the tissues inside your body. They can detect many different abnormalities, including tumors.
• Biopsy. During this procedure, your healthcare provider takes a tissue sample and sends it to a pathology lab for analysis. It can be difficult to take a biopsy of the appendix. So, if the cancer has potentially spread to another region, your healthcare provider will take a sample from that area.
• Laparoscopy. Your healthcare provider inserts a laparoscope — a long, slender fiber optic instrument — through an incision in your abdomen. A small camera captures images of your appendix and projects them onto a screen.
• Blood tests. If your biopsy comes back positive for appendix cancer, then your healthcare provider will recommend lab tests to check for protein levels. This can help determine the stage of the cancer.