People often ask, what should be done to test if there is a tumor suspected, and is there only one type of examination that can be definitively diagnosed?
The answer is no, there are many types of imaging examinations, because each has its own advantages and disadvantages, common examinations include ultrasound, X-ray, CT, MRI and PET-CT, different parts of the tumor, the selection of imaging examination methods is also different, today I will briefly introduce how to choose common tumor imaging examinations.
Q: How to choose the imaging examination of head and neck tumors?
A: CT examination is recommended for tumor screening, and if abnormalities are found, CT or MRI can be performed to show the location and extent of the lesion, distinguish benign and malignant, and observe whether the surrounding structures are invaded. When thyroid tumors are suspected, ultrasonography is recommended, and if malignant is confirmed, CT scan must be done to observe for lymph nodes and metastases to distant organs.
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Q: How to choose a thoracic tumor imaging examination?
A: Including the lungs, Mediastinal and pleural tumors, take lung tumors as an example, CT examination is the first choice, which is also recognized by the world as the simplest and easiest examination method with high accuracy for early lung lesions, but because the CT function is becoming more and more powerful, many small nodules that have not been found in the past appear to be more, when you see the pulmonary nodules mentioned in the physical examination report, please do not be overly nervous, let the doctor help you judge, if it is suspected to be malignant, further enhanced CT should be done, which can not only confirm the diagnosis, but also show whether there is metastasis in the lymph nodes and distant organs.
Q: How to choose breast tumor imaging examination?
A: Ultrasound, mammography and MRI can be selected, ultrasound is recommended for women under 35 years old, and ultrasound and mammography can be selected for women over 35 years old.
Q: How to choose the imaging examination of abdominal parenchymal organ tumors?
A: Including hepatobiliary, spleen, pancreas, kidney, uterus, and prostate tumors, abnormalities can be found by ultrasound, but CT and MRI examinations can observe the tumor more comprehensively, and can also be used to distinguish benign and malignant tumors and metastases of other organs through enhanced scanning. In particular, for uterine and prostate tumors, MRI with contrast must be done to determine the extent of the tumor and perform preoperative staging.
Q: How to choose the imaging examination of gastrointestinal tumors?
A: Including esophageal, gastric and colorectal tumors, it is recommended to do gastrointestinal endoscopy or gastrointestinal barium swallow examination, if the tumor is found, CT or MRI examination, preferably in an enhanced way, so that it can be evaluated for lymph node metastasis and other organ invasion.
In addition, a brief introduction to PET-CT, which is also known as a cancer detection artifact, for patients with unexplained elevated tumor markers, or patients looking for primary tumors in multiple metastases, if conditions permit, the whole body PET-CT examination can be performed, which can not only fully understand the situation of primary lesions and metastases, but also carry out accurate staging, providing an objective basis for clinical treatment. However, PET-CT cannot simply be considered as a substitute for the above imaging examinations, and no one examination method is a panacea, and all kinds of examinations are complementary. However, for some atypical cases, it is necessary to analyze and judge a variety of data.
Author: Zhong Weixiu
Source: Shenyang Fifth People's Hospital
Editor: Pei Li
Proofreading: Chen Ziqi
First trial: Shen Gang
Review: Xu Jiang