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PET/CT and Esophageal cancer
Diagnosis and treatment
The treatment course and patient outlook from Esophageal cancer depends to
a certain extent on the accurate staging of the cancer.
Diagnosing Esophageal cancer requires a doctor to perform various tests that
include:
- Video esophagram (barium swallowing)
- Esophagoscopy
- Biopsy
A doctor may also order a PET/CT to see if the cancer has spread to other parts
of the body, such as the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, or adrenal glands.
The PET/CT is a useful non-invasive test that can be of great benefit to
doctors in diagnosing and treating Esophageal cancer. PET can highlight
the biochemical state of any cancer and CT can accurately locate the cancer
and see if it has spread. All of this information is vitally important to planning
a strategy to remove the cancer.
PET/CT is also useful for looking to see if cancer returns. In some patients
esophageal cancers may remain after treatment. The mass itself can be viewed
on the CT scan, but CT alone cannot determine if the tumor has been successfully
treated or if residual cancer remains that must be treated.
The PET scan from the PET/CT can be used to image how the tumor has responded
to therapy and to detect recurrence in successfully treated lesions.
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