cancer.org | 1.800.227.2345 Colorectal Cancer Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging

Colonoscopy For this test, the doctor looks at the entire length of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope, a flexible tube about the width of a finger with a light and small video camera on the end. [...] A sigmoidoscope (a flexible, lighted tube about the thickness of a finger with a small video camera on the end) is put in through the anus, into the rectum and then moved into the lower part of the colon. [...] Some people may have signs that the cancer has spread to the liver with a large liver felt on exam, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), or trouble breathing from cancer spread to the lungs. [...] The transducer is placed directly against the surface of the liver, making this test very useful for detecting the spread of colorectal cancer to the liver. This allows the surgeon to biopsy the tumor, if 27 _A_m_. [...] How is the stage determined? The staging system most often used for colorectal cancer is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system, which is based on 3 key pieces of information: ● The extent (size) of the tumor (T): How far has the cancer grown into the wall of the colon or rectum? These layers, from the inner to the outer, include: The inner lining (mucosa), which is the layer in.