Diagnosis of tumors in the abdomen | Tumors in the abdominal cavity – What does it involve?

Diagnosis of tumors in the abdomen

The diagnosis of tumors in the abdominal cavity sometimes varies considerably, since each tumor can have a certain characteristic, which can sometimes be more or less well represented by different procedures. In addition to the determination of certain blood values – so-called tumor markers – in the laboratory, there are also a number of imaging techniques available, such as ultrasound (sonography), endoscopy and endosonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, nuclear spin), scintigraphy and positron emission tomography (PET).

Treatment of tumors in the abdomen

There is no generally valid therapeutic procedure for tumors in the abdominal cavity, since different therapeutic approaches are pursued for each type of tumor in the abdominal cavity. In addition, the therapy also depends to a large extent on whether the tumor is benign or malignant and in which tumor stage the patient is at when he or she first becomes noticeable with the respective disease. In principle, curative, i.e.

curative therapy approaches can be distinguished from palliative, i.e. alleviating ones. In both cases, there are different treatment measures to be taken, including, for example, surgical removal of the tumor, administration of chemotherapeutic or other drugs and/or radiation. Which procedure or which combination of procedures is used is usually determined and recommended after the final summary of all examination findings at an internal tumor conference.

Life expectancy for tumors in the abdominal cavity

It is not possible to give a general indication of life expectancy for a tumor in the abdominal cavity, as this depends on many different factors. These factors include whether the tumor is benign or malignant, the type of tumor (i.e. which tissue is involved), the size or extent of the tumor, tumor differentiation (degree of cell degeneration) and metastasis (lymph node involvement or distant metastases in other organs). An overview of the tumor disease can only be obtained by looking at a summary of many examination results, but even then a statement about life expectancy should often be viewed with caution. Not only can it vary individually (e.g. due to the basic physical condition of the affected patient), but it is also sometimes dependent on the respective therapy options for the corresponding tumor disease.