Tests and Investigations

Tests and investigations help to find out a number of different things, such as:

• if you have cancer
• if you do have cancer, what type, how far it has spread (its stage) and where it is.

What treatment you need depends on:

• how well your cancer is responding to treatment
• whether cancer remains after you have finished a course of treatment.

What to expect

• Most tests and investigations are carried out during an outpatient visit to the hospital.
• Many involve a short appointment with a specialist.
• You may have a range of tests and investigations at the same appointment.

The main investigations include:

• Biopsies
• Blood tests
• Breast imaging (mammograms)
• CT scans
• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopy
• MRI scans
• Nuclear medicine scans
• PET scans
• Ultrasound scans
• X-rays