The main tests are endoscopy and biopsy. These tests are often done at the same time.
Waiting for the test results can be a stressful time. It may help to talk to a friend or family member, or a health professional. You can also call Cancer Council 13 11 20.
Learn more about:
Endoscopy and biopsy
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.
Having an endoscopy
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.
Taking a biopsy
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.
→ READ MORE: Further tests for stomach cancer
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Prof David I Watson, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Flinders University, and Senior Consultant Surgeon, Oesophago-Gastric Surgery Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Prof Bryan Burmeister, Senior Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay Hospital, QLD; Dr Natalie Collier, Radiation Oncologist, Wollongong Hospital, NSW; A/Prof Melissa Eastgate, A/Executive Director, Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Brett Hall, Consumer; Natalie Lalor, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; Chris Menzies, Upper GI Cancer Nurse Consultant, Flinders Medical Centre and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA; Stefanie Simnadis, Clinical Dietitian, St John of God Subiaco Hospital, WA; Prof Rajvinder Singh, Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide, and Director, Gastroenterology Department and Head of Endoscopy, Lyell McEwin Hospital, SA.
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