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The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.

Diagnosis

Various tests, including endoscopy, biopsy, endoscopic ultrasound, CT scan, and PET scan, may be used to investigate oesophageal cancer symptoms and confirm a diagnosis.

You might have a number of tests to investigate your symptoms and confirm a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer, including: 

  • endoscopy, where an endoscope  (a thin tube with a light and a lens for viewing) is passed through the mouth into the digestive tract 
  • biopsy, where the endoscope is used to remove a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope 
  • endoscopic ultrasound, where an endoscope is used to perform an ultrasound by releasing sound waves – this can show how far the cancer has spread into the wall of the oesophagus 
  • computed tomography (CT) scan, which uses a series of X-rays to make a detailed picture of areas inside the body 
  • positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which takes pictures of areas of the body after a radioactive sugar has been injected into the blood. 

References

  1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN guidelines for patients: esophageal and esophagogastric cancers.  
Last updated 27 September 2024
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