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Pancreatic Cancer

Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Currently this is no effective single test for detecting pancreatic cancer. However if you display several of the symptoms, a doctor may recommend a group of tests to see if you have pancreatic cancer or not.

• CT (Computed Tomography) Scan - This scan passes X-rays through your body and takes small slices of your body which are put together by a computer so the doctor can see a 3D image of the affected area. Sometimes a dye is given so that different tissues can be differentiated from each other more easily.
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) - A dye is given and you are passed through a tube which passes magnetic waves through your body and performs in very much the same way as a CT scan.
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - A small tube is passed down the throat until it reaches the opening of the pancreas into the small intestine. Using a camera, the physician can see the tubes of the pancreas where most of the cancers of the pancreas are formed. Then a dye may be given through a small catheter within the tube so that an X-ray can be taken later.
• Endoscopic Ultrasound - The ultrasound device is passed through the endoscope to your stomach. The device then directs sound waves to your pancreas. A computer then turns the echoes from the sound into pictures that you can see.
• Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography - A small needle with dye is injected into the liver. The dye then should move freely through the bile ducts. If it does not, this is indicative of a blockage from a tumor.
• Biopsy - A sample of tissue is taken out either through a needle or with the scope used for other diagnostic tests. Then this cellular material is sent to the lab where it can be analyzed.

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This article is a NetWellness exclusive.

Last Reviewed: Mar 20, 2007

Syed A. Ahmad, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery Division of Surgical Oncology Department of Surgery College of Medicine University of Cincinnati

 

Malek Safa, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Hematology/Oncology Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati

 

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