IMAGING TESTS
To get confirmation of whether someone has a cancerous tumour, or to find out whether cancer has spread, doctors need to observe inside the body. To do this, various imaging tests are used, providing a full visual picture. Rays of different wavelengths scan the body. When they reach the tissues of the body, the energy pattern of the ray is changed. These changes are displayed as an image.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields and is the preferred test used to diagnose brain tumours. Computed tomography (CT) scans produce images of the inside of the body by taking X-rays from different angles. Some tumours don’t show up as well on X-rays and require an ultrasound. This test involves sending high-frequency sound waves through the body. The waves create echoes as they bounce off organs and tissue, producing a computerised outline of any tumours.