Diagnosis of Genital system cancer
Genital system cancer Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Genital system cancer: Online Medical Books
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Introduction: Malignant Neoplasms:
Diagnostic methods
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
A thorough medical history and physical examination should precede sophisticated diagnostic procedures. Useful tests for the early detection and staging of tumors include X-ray, endoscopy, isotope scan, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging, but the single most important diagnostic tool is a biopsy for direct histologic study of tumor tissue. Biopsy tissue samples can be taken by curettage, fluid aspiration (pleural effusion), fine-needle aspiration biopsy (breast), dermal punch (skin or mouth), endoscopy (rectal polyps), and surgical excision (visceral tumors and nodes).
An important tumor marker, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), although not diagnostic by itself, can signal malignancies of the large bowel, stomach, pancreas, lungs, and breasts. CEA titers range from normal (less than 5 ng) to suspicious (5 to 10 ng) to suspect (over 10 ng). CEA serves many valuable purposes:
❑as a baseline during chemotherapy to evaluate the extent of tumor spread
❑to regulate drug dosage
❑to prognosticate after surgery or radiation
❑to detect tumor recurrence.
Although no more specific than CEA, alpha-fetoprotein — a fetal antigen uncommon in adults — can suggest testicular, ovarian, gastric, and hepatocellular cancers. Beta human chorionic gonadotropin may point to testicular cancer or choriocarcinoma. Other commonly used tumor markers include prostate-specific antigen to detect and monitor prostatic cancer, and CA-125, useful for monitoring ovarian, colorectal, and gastric cancers.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Uterine cancer:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Unfortunately, a Papanicolaou test, so useful for detecting cervical cancer, doesn't dependably predict early-stage uterine cancer. Diagnosis of uterine cancer requires endometrial, cervical, and endocervical biopsies. (See Staging uterine cancer.) Negative biopsies call for a fractional dilatation and curettage to determine the diagnosis. Positive diagnosis requires the following tests for baseline data and staging:
❑multiple cervical biopsies and endocervical curettage to pinpoint cervical involvement
❑ Schiller's test, staining the cervix and vagina with an iodine solution that turns healthy tissues brown; cancerous tissues resist the stain
❑ complete physical examination
❑ chest X-ray or computed tomography scan
❑ excretory urography and, possibly, cystoscopy
❑ complete blood studies
❑electrocardiogram
❑ proctoscopy or barium enema studies, if bladder and rectal involvement are suspected.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Malignant spinal neoplasms:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
❑Spinal and lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging confirm spinal tumor.
❑ X-rays show distortions of the intervertebral foramina; changes in the vertebrae or collapsed areas in the vertebral body; and localized enlargement of the spinal canal, indicating an adjacent block.
❑ Myelography identifies the level of the lesion by outlining it if the tumor is causing partial obstruction; it shows anatomic relationship to the cord and the dura. If obstruction is complete, the injected dye can't flow past the tumor. (This study is dangerous if cord compression is nearly complete because withdrawal or escape of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will allow the tumor to exert greater pressure against the cord.)
❑ Radioisotope bone scan demonstrates metastatic invasion of the vertebrae by showing a characteristic increase in osteoblastic activity.
❑ Computed tomography scan shows cord compression and tumor location.
❑ Frozen section biopsy at surgery identifies the tissue type.
❑ Lumbar puncture may be normal, abnormal, or nonspecific. It may show clear yellow CSF as a result of increased protein levels if the flow is completely blocked. If the flow is partially blocked, protein levels rise, but the fluid is only slightly yellow in proportion to the CSF protein level. Cytology of the CSF may show malignant cells of metastatic carcinoma.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Uterine cancer:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
Unfortunately, a Pap smear, so useful for detecting cervical cancer, doesn’t dependably predict early-stage uterine cancer. Diagnosis of uterine cancer requires endometrial biopsy and the following tests for baseline data and staging:
❑ complete physical examination
❑ chest X-ray or computed tomography scan
❑ complete blood count
❑ proctoscopy or barium enema studies, if bladder and rectal involvement are suspected.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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