It’s important that we are able to accurately diagnose and stage your stomach cancer to determine the best treatment approach for you. Improvements in our ability to identify subtle but important differences among various types of stomach cancer have also influenced how effectively we are able to treat the disease.
In addition to understanding the condition of your overall health and any symptoms you may have, your Memorial Sloan Kettering treatment team will likely use one of the following tests to diagnose stomach cancer.
Endoscopy
In an endoscopy, a doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube (an endoscope) into your mouth, down your esophagus, and into your stomach while you’re sedated or under anesthesia. The endoscope allows your doctor to look at the inner lining of the stomach wall. It can also be used to take a sample of any areas your doctor wants analyzed by a pathologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing disease).
Barium X-Ray
In this test, you drink a liquid solution containing barium, a silver-white metal that shows up on an x-ray and helps doctors see a clear image of any potential abnormalities.
Once we establish a diagnosis, we’ll want to determine the stage of the cancer and build a customized plan of care for you.
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