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Diagnosing cancer

Granskad av Dr Hannah Gronow, MBACPSenast uppdaterad av Dr Gurvinder Rull, MBBSLast updated 14 Nov 2017

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Your doctor will examine you to look for abnormalities such as a lump under the skin, or an enlarged liver. You may be referred for tests.

At a glance

  • Cancer is first suspected from symptoms experienced by a patient.

  • A doctor will physically examine the patient for abnormalities.

  • You may be referred for tests such as X-rays, scans, and blood tests.

  • A biopsy, which is a tissue sample, is often needed to confirm cancer.

  • The sample is then examined under a microscope for abnormal cells.

This summary has been automatically generated from the article content to help readers quickly understand the key points.

I den här artikeln:

Video picks for Information about cancer

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How is cancer diagnosed?

If a cancer is suspected from your symptoms

Your doctor will examine you to look for abnormalities such as a lump under the skin, or an enlarged liver. You may be referred for tests such as X-rays, scans, blodprov, endoskopi, bronchoscopy, etc, depending on where the suspected cancer is situated. These tests can often find the site of a suspected cancer. However, a sample (biopsy) is often needed to be certain that the abnormality is a cancer and not something else - such as a non-cancerous (benign) tumour.

Biopsi

A biopsy is a procedure where a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under the microscope or tested in other ways to detect abnormal cells. Sometimes it is easy to obtain a biopsy. For example, from a lump on the skin which may be a skin cancer. However, it can be difficult to obtain a biopsy from deeper tissues and it may require specialised procedures.

Some questions you may want to go through with your doctor

Tillbaka till innehåll

If you have been diagnosed with cancer you will have many questions. The following are some suggested questions that you may wish to go over with your doctor:

  • What type of cancer do I have?

  • How large is it and has it spread to other parts of my body?

  • What are the treatment options for this type of cancer?

  • What are the risks and possible side-effects of the treatment options?

  • How successful is the treatment for my type and stage of cancer? Is the aim of treatment to cure or to control the cancer?

Patient picks for Information about cancer

Cancer

Cancer

Cancer

Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body. There are many different types of cells in the body, and many different types of cancer which arise from different types of cells.

by Dr Krishna Vakharia, MRCGP

Mucositis

Cancer

Mucositis

Mucositis affects the lining of your mouth or gut (bowel) and is often caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Mucositis is often very painful and needs strong painkillers to help control the pain. It often interferes with eating and drinking and has a very negative effect on your quality of life. However, it can be prevented, can be treated and usually gets better soon after the treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy has stopped.

av Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP

Vanliga frågor

What happens during a physical examination if cancer is suspected?

If your doctor suspects cancer based on your symptoms, they will examine you to check for any unusual signs. This might include feeling for an abnormal lump under your skin or checking for an enlarged liver.

What types of tests might be used to investigate a suspected cancer?

Depending on where the suspected cancer is located, you might have various tests. These could include X-rays, different types of scans, blood tests, or procedures like endoscopy or bronchoscopy. These tests help locate the suspected area.

Why is a biopsy often needed even after other tests show an abnormality?

Even if other tests identify an abnormal area, a biopsy is frequently necessary to confirm if it is cancer. This is because some abnormalities, like non-cancerous (benign) tumours, can resemble cancerous ones. A biopsy helps definitively determine the nature of the cells.

Is it always easy to get a biopsy sample?

No, obtaining a biopsy can vary in difficulty. For instance, getting a sample from a lump on the skin is often straightforward. However, if the suspected tissue is deeper inside the body, more specialised procedures might be required to get the sample.

These questions and answers have been generated from the information in this article.

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About the authorView full bio

Author image

Dr Gurvinder Rull, MBBS

Medical Author, Consultant: Clinical Pharmacology, Therapeutics and General Internal Medicine

BSC (Hons), MBBS, FRCP, MA (Medical Ethics)

Dr Gurvinder Rull qualified in 2000, joining EMIS’s content authoring team (now Patient.info) in 2007.

About the reviewerView full bio

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Dr Hannah Gronow, MBACP

General Practitioner

MB, ChB, MBACP

Hannah qualified as a GP in 1997. She joined EMIS (Patient) as a peer reviewer in August 2006.

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