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- Physical Examination
- • Digital rectal examination to feel for lumps.
- • Abdominal exam for a mass or an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly).
- • Enlarged lymph nodes over the left collarbone and in the groin (inguinal) area.
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- Blood and Other Tests
- • Test for hidden blood in the stools (stool tests for bleeding may be negative in half of colorectal cancer cases).
- • Complete blood count (CBC).
- • Urinalysis.
- • Serum chemistry profile, including liver enzymes , cholesterol, calcium and serum iron or ferritin (for anemia).
- • Test for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a serum tumor marker that may be elevated with primary or
- recurrent colorectal cancer. Very high levels of CEA may indicate more advanced disease. The CEA level
- should be measured before surgery and, if elevated, periodically (every 3 to 6 months) after surgery.
- • Beta-2 microglobulin or CA 19-9 may be a sensitive indicator for tumor bulk and may indicate metastases
- when the CEA level is normal.
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- Imaging
- • Barium enema x-ray.
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