Tests after diagnosis for gall bladder cancer

After your diagnosis your doctor may want you to have more tests to find out more about your cancer:

• How large is the cancer?
• Where exactly is the cancer?
• Has the cancer spread to any other parts of your body?

This is called staging. Staging tests for gall bladder cancer include:

• CT scan: A type of X-ray to give a picture of the tissues inside your body
• MRI scan: This is a scan that uses magnetic energy to build up a picture of the tissues inside your body. 
• Ultrasound scan: A device like a microphone passed over your tummy to give a picture of your gall bladder and nearby organs. It can show any abnormal changes. 
• Blood tests: Blood tests can check how well your liver is working
• Angiography: An X-ray that looks at the blood vessels around your gall bladder by injecting a special dye into them. This dye can be seen on the X-ray and shows if any blood vessels are blocked or affected by a tumour.