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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Cancer screening
Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stages often provides the best chance for a cure. With this in mind, talk with your doctor about what types of cancer screening may be appropriate for you. For a few cancers, studies show screening tests can save lives by diagnosing cancer early. For other cancers, screening tests are reserved for people with the highest risk. Discuss your cancer risks with your doctor.
The American Cancer Society generally recommends screening for the following cancers in adults considered to have an average risk of cancer:
| Type of cancer | Who should consider screening? |
|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Women 40 and older |
| Cervical cancer | Women 21 or older, or beginning three years after first sexual intercourse |
| Colon cancer | Men and women 50 and older |
| Prostate cancer | Men 50 and older |
Screening tests and procedures have risks and benefits. Discuss these with your doctor to determine whether screening is right for you.
Cancer diagnosis
Your doctor may use one or more approaches to diagnose cancer:
- Physical exam. Your doctor may feel areas of your body for lumps that may indicate a tumor. During a physical exam he or she may look for any abnormalities, such as changes in skin color or enlargement of an organ, that may indicate cancer.
- Laboratory tests. Laboratory tests, such as urine and blood tests, may help your doctor identify abnormalities that can be caused by cancer. For instance, in people with leukemia, a common blood test called complete blood count (CBC) may reveal an unusual number of white blood cells.
- Imaging tests. Imaging tests allow your doctor to examine your bones and internal organs in a noninvasive way. Imaging tests used in diagnosing cancer may include computerized tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and X-ray, among others.
- Biopsy. During a biopsy, your doctor collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory. There are several different ways of collecting a biopsy sample. Which biopsy procedure is right for you depends on your type of cancer and its location. In most cases, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose cancer. In the laboratory, doctors look at biopsy samples under the microscope. Normal cells look uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization. Cancer cells look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent organization.
Cancer stages
Once cancer is diagnosed, your doctor will work to determine the extent, or stage, of your cancer. Your doctor uses your cancer's stage to determine your treatment options and your chances for a cure. Staging tests and procedures may include imaging tests, such as a bone scans or X-rays to see if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Cancer stages are generally indicated by Roman numerals — I through IV, with higher numerals indicating more advanced cancer. In some cases, cancer stage is indicated using letters or words.
