“Can cancer show up in a CT scan?”
The doctor has seen a growth in my mother’s CT scan report. Could this be cancerous? Will a biopsy have to be done for this or will the CT scan suggest if it's cancer or not?
11 Answers
RadiologistCTScans
Sometimes a CT scan alone can make a definitive diagnosis of malignancy. Most often, a biopsy is required to determine the correct treatment.
A CT scan can suggest cancer, but a biopsy will need to be done to confirm.
Best of luck,
Dr Cox
Best of luck,
Dr Cox
Without information regarding the organ system involved, the appearance of the growth, size, and number nothing can be surmised with any accuracy. Many growths can be benign (non cancerous) even though they may be fairly large. The radiologic description will usually suggest several possible etiologies. Many times, a radiologic guided biopsy will be obtained for a definitive diagnosis.
The short answer is yes and yes. The scan can certainly suggest cancer, but a biopsy is the final word.
All the best.
All the best.
Yes, cancer can show up in a CT scan if it presents as a lump or swelling. The differentiation between benign/malignant tumor or other causes of such swelling like abscess/infective or inflammatory causes can not be addressed by CT. A biopsy or fine needle aspiration cytology is needed to arrive at a final conclusive tissue diagnosis.
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Dr. Himadri S. Das
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The CT characteristics of the lesion itself, its location, its association with other lesions and its enhancement pattern can suggest the lesion to be cancerous. However, for definitive diagnosis, biopsy is the gold standard and can be performed under image guidance depending on its location.
BRIAN DECOSTA
BRIAN DECOSTA
The CT cannot tell the difference between benign and malignant masses in most cases. A biopsy is usually required.
Stephen W. Kulbaba
Radiologist
Cancer is a very broad term as there are many types of growth. Some are benign types of tumors, meaning they are not problematic and are often left alone. An example would be a lipoma, which is basically a fatty nodule, very common, not a big deal. More aggressive tumors need to be properly identified in order to determine the best treatment options. CT and MRI for that matter are good for identifying masses and give valuable information about it - size, margins, presence of calcification, density. However, in most cases, a biopsy will need to be done in order to most accurately identify the type of tumor and best treatment option in order to achieve the best outcome.
Biopsy is the only way to tell for sure.
If there are no comparisons available, it is likely there will need to be a biopsy.
There is a very good chance a biopsy will be needed.
