specific investigations for right-sided cancer
Last reviewed 01/2018
There are a series of specific investigations for right-sided colonic carcinoma:
- stools: positive for occult blood
- blood film: detect iron deficiency anaemia
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): raised
- barium enema:
- lesions appear as a constriction or intraluminal mass
- false negatives are not uncommon
- if a negative result obtained when carcinoma suspected, repeat after a few weeks
- colonoscopy:
- may miss lesions greater than 5 mm diameter that can be hidden around folds or in flexures;
- barium enema may miss about 20% of neoplastic lesions greater than 5 mm diameter which are seen on colonoscopy