Diagnosis

Diagnosing small bowel cancer can be challenging, requiring multiple tests to locate or rule out cancer. These may include:

Blood Tests: While blood tests can’t directly detect small bowel cancer, they can indicate issues like low red blood cell count (suggesting bleeding) or organ function problems (e.g., kidney or liver), which could indicate cancer spread.

Imaging Tests: Tests like MRI, CT, and PET scans are used to visualize the location and size of the cancer.

Biopsy: A tissue sample may be removed for lab testing to confirm cancer. This can be done during procedures like endoscopy or surgery.

Tests to Examine the Small Intestine:

• Upper Endoscopy: Used to examine the oesophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine. A tube with a camera is inserted through the mouth to collect tissue samples.
• Capsule Endoscopy: A pill-sized camera is swallowed to take pictures as it travels through the digestive system, but it can’t collect tissue samples.
• Enteroscopy: A specialised endoscope is used to examine more of the small intestine, and a tissue sample may be collected. The procedure may be done through the mouth or rectum, depending on cancer location.