Diagnosis
If you are experiencing symptoms, your doctor will first ask you questions about your medical history and check for lumps or other physical changes. Your doctor may then order various tests and exams that, if positive, may diagnose or detect cancer.
- Laboratory tests examine a sample of blood, urine, or other substance from the body.
- Imaging tests produce pictures of areas inside the body.
- Biopsies surgically remove some portion of the tumor to examine under the microscope.
If cancer is diagnosed, the doctor will want to learn the stage or extent of disease that will indicate whether or not the disease has spread or metastasized to other parts of the body. To do so, your doctor may order further tests or biopsies.
More information:
Exam and Test Descriptions (American Cancer Society)
Screening and Testing To Detect Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Staging: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute)