Diagnosis
In many cases, small bowel cancer is diagnosed at a very late stage, i.e. when the cancer is already in an advanced stage, since symptoms, or characteristic symptoms, usually appear late and the common examination methods such as endoscopy and sonography (ultrasound) often do not detect any changed areas in the bowel in the early stages. It is only later that more informative examination methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography, as well as X-rays, are used. The examination methods mentioned at the beginning can also reveal tumors in an advanced stage.
However, the safest examination method is computed tomography and a biopsy and examination of the malignant tissue. Only in this way can the type of tumor be determined. In addition to the above-mentioned examination methods, blood tests and stool tests are also performed, as well as anamnesis and other physical examinations.
Especially in the beginning, the entire body is examined in order to classify the cancer into the appropriate stage and to be able to choose the appropriate therapy. Daughter tumors must also be treated in the same way as primary tumors. Colorectal cancer in general is usually diagnosed at a very late stage, as the initial symptoms are very diffuse and do not explicitly indicate a severe disease.
In most cases, these are typical signs of gastroenteritis, which are initially accompanied by a tumor in the intestinal area. Very few patients go directly to an appropriate examination just because of these symptoms. In most cases, the cancer is only detected at a late stage, which in some cases greatly reduces the chances of survival.
Some diseases are also discovered by chance, as the patient undergoes a preventive examination at the “right” time. With magnetic resonance imaging it is possible to visualize organs or other soft tissues of the body, as well as muscles. The advantage of magnetic resonance imaging over X-ray or computer tomography is that this examination method is completely harmless to the body.
MRI uses magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation, which makes it possible to take sectional images of the body. Since the device for this examination completely surrounds the body (tube form) and the head can also be completely enclosed, images can be obtained from all levels of the body and also from all sides, as desired. Thus it is possible to create images of almost all internal structures.
Only bones and also the lungs cannot be represented so well, because they contain rather little water in comparison, which due to the technique does not provide good resolutions. During the examination itself, the patient is pushed completely or only partially into the tube, depending on which part of the body needs to be examined. The examination takes a relatively long time and depends entirely on the structure to be examined.
The only disadvantage of the MRI device is the volume. It sometimes makes very loud noises, which makes it necessary to protect the patient’s ears with headphones. There is also the possibility to press a button in case of claustrophobia or other complaints.
With this “emergency” button you are directly connected to a medical specialist, who can directly abort the examination. Since the small intestine is a part of the body that contains a lot of water, it can be very well visualized by magnetic resonance imaging and conspicuous areas can be detected. The MRI examination is mainly used for the detection of metastases, but it is also often used to plan an intervention, i.e. an operation as precisely as possible.
