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- Physical Examination
- • Enlarged lymph nodes , particularly over the left collarbone.
- • The vocal cords may be less mobile or paralyzed.
- • Tapping the spinal area may cause pain in the vertebrae.
- • Rarely, thickening and scaling of the palms and soles.
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- Blood and Other Tests
- • Cells for analysis similar to a Pap smear cytology may be scraped off a swallowed balloon or obtained with a
- brush inserted through an endoscope or a nasogastric tube.
- • Blood counts and serum chemistry profile.
- • Serum liver function tests to measure alkaline phosphatase and LDH. Elevated levels may suggest metastases
- to liver or bone.
- • An elevated CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) may indicate liver metastases.
- • Analysis of cell DNA and DNA histograms are under evaluation as investigational diagnostic tools and may
- help identify patients with Barrett's esophagus who are about to develop cancer. Preliminary data suggest that
- a tumor with abnormal chromosomes has a poorer prognosis .
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- Imaging
- • A barium swallow and x-ray of the esophagus may reveal a tumor.
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