How can it be diagnosed?
Tests and procedures used to diagnose stomach cancer include:
• Upper GI endoscopy (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy or EGD): A thin, flexible lighted tube containing a micro camera at the end is passed down through the mouth into your stomach to look for signs of cancer. This lets the doctor examine the lining of your stomach. If any suspicious area is found, a small piece of tissue is taken from that site (biopsy) for laboratory examination.
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): A small transducer is placed on the tip of an endoscope. Sedation is given to the patient and the endoscope is passed down the throat and into the stomach. This allows the doctor to look at the layers of the stomach wall. If cancer is there, the doctor can check the nearby lymph nodes and other structures just outside the stomach to determine the extent of cancer spread. EUS can also be used to help in guiding a needle into a suspicious area to get a tissue sample (EUS-guided needle biopsy).
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