How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is based on the results of the following examinations and tests:

Clinical examination

If you have symptoms of pancreatic cancer, your doctor may look at your skin and eyes and ask for a urine sample to check for signs of jaundice. He/she may also do a physical examination to palpate your abdomen for any abnormalities.

Imaging scans

Your doctor may recommend that you have a computed tomography (CT) scan. This is a type of imaging technique that allows doctors to see your internal organs in cross-section. A CT scan can show if there is a tumour in the pancreas and is the most common way to diagnose pancreatic cancer. Sometimes, other imaging scans might be used, including ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the inside of the body, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images.

A CT scan is usually carried out to confirm the presence of pancreatic cancer