Abdominal or Gastrointestinal cancers include colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and stomach (gastric) cancer. If symptoms are present in your patient, you may order specific blood tests or a colonoscopy to better diagnose colon or abdominal cancers. Several additional imaging techniques can help detect the exact location of cancer, determine if cancer has spread, or evaluate possible treatment options.

Procedures

Virtual Colonoscpoy

A newer procedure that might be an option for detecting presence of colon cancer is virtual colonoscopy. The test uses Computed Tomography technology to scan to take pictures of the colon. The CT scan creates cross-sectional and 3-D images than can reveal polyps or other irregularities.

CT

You may order a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan to evaluate the spread of cancer outside your patient's stomach, especially to organs such as the liver and lungs. A CT scan uses split-second computer processing and X-ray beams to produce detailed cross-sectional images of the internal organs.

MRI

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) also looks for the spread of cancer to areas outside of the stomach. Unlike a CT scan, MRI uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to produce cross-sectional images of the body.

X-ray/Fluoroscopy

A fluoroscopy X-ray may be ordered to image the gastrointestinal or digestive system. The X-ray tests examine the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the areas of the body from the esophagus to the rectum. These X-rays are able to detect cancers or abnormalities that occur in any portion of the GI tract.

Fluoroscopy is used to better contrast the outline of the GI tract, with areas of concern appearing white on the X-ray images. It helps to visualize problem areas and can indicate difficulties with swallowing (dysphagia) or digestion, ulcerations, malignancy or structural abnormalities.