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.