Tests for stomach cancer

Endoscopy and biopsy

The main tests are endoscopy and biopsy. These tests are often done at the same time.

An endoscopy (also called a gastroscopy or upper endoscopy) lets your doctor look inside your stomach and small bowel. It is usually done as day surgery. Before the test, you will probably need to fast (not eat or drink) for about 6 hours.

You will usually have a light sedation to make you sleepy. A general anaesthetic is only needed in a small number of cases. Once the sedative has taken effect, a long, flexible tube with a light and small camera on the end (endoscope) will be passed into your mouth, down your throat and oesophagus, and into your stomach and small bowel.

If the doctor sees anything unusual during the endoscopy, they may take a small sample of tissue. This is called a biopsy. A pathologist will check the sample under a microscope to look for cancer.

The endoscopy takes about 10 minutes. You might feel sleepy after, so someone will need to take you home. You may also have a sore throat or feel bloated for a short time.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

You may have an EUS at the same time as a standard endoscopy. The doctor will use an endoscope with an ultrasound probe on the tip or with a built-in ultrasound device. The probe releases soundwaves that echo when they bounce off anything solid, such as an organ or tumour.

This test helps work out whether the cancer has spread into the oesophageal or stomach wall, nearby tissues or lymph nodes. During the EUS, your doctor may use the ultrasound to guide a needle into the area they want to look at and take tissue samples.