Systemic diagnostic approach to suspected cancer

For a long time, cancer has been present and evolving in the body, without any clinical or laboratory manifestations. This behavior is an important component of malignancy.When at some point the tumor reaches a certain size, it begins to compress neighboring tissues (this can cause pain or even dysfunction of the compressed element), to infiltrate neighboring blood vessels (it could cause bleeding), to grow so large that it becomes palpable, preventing the normal functioning of the organs (resulting in difficulty in swallowing, changing the tone of voice, etc.).

Clinical examination & History of cancer detection

The first signs of a neoplasm may appear during the clinical examination of the patient. The complete clinical examination concerns all the systems of the body and aims to reveal indications of abnormal functioning of the body's organs. .

Particular emphasis should be placed on the following areas:

• Examination of the nasal and oral cavities.
• Examination of the larynx (laryngoscopy).
• Palpation of the lymph nodes (cervix, over the clavicle, armpits, inguinal areas).
• Breast palpation in women - testicles in men.
• Abdominal examination. The abdomen is carefully palpated to detect swelling of an abdominal organ.
• Gynecological examination.
• Anal examination of the anus.

During the clinical examination, the doctor collects information from the patient about various functions of the body by asking various targeted questions, such as the following:

• Have you recently seen blood in your stools?
• Have you had constipation, diarrhea with constipation or other bowel disorders?
• Has the period changed?
• Did you notice difficulty or pain in swallowing?
• Have you ever had bloody sputum?
• Did you have hoarseness?

An affirmative answer to such targeted questions leads to a more specific clinical examination and perhaps an initial laboratory test.
Suspicious findings in any system lead to further testing. For example, swollen lymph nodes may be due to a tumor that has metastasized from another part of the body. Therefore, a thorough investigation must be carried out to determine the initial location of the cancer. Because some cancers have a clear hereditary predisposition, it is important to ask questions about the family history of cancer, especially close relatives.