Pre- tests
Originally, doctors will look for symptons like jaundice or enlarged gallbladders. Doctors will examine the abdomen for potential lumps or abnormalities. They look for masses or fluid build up, eyes and skin discoloration, enlarged organs like the gallbladder and pancreas, and they also feel the lymph nodes for anything out of the normal. If these symptoms are present, doctors proceed with tests.
CT Scans
CT scans are regularly used. A CT scanner scans the whole body as it is rotated. It takes detailed cross-sectional images of your body. CT scans are often used to ensure the cancer is pancreatic and to determine what stage it is in. "CT scans show the pancreas fairly clearly and often can confirm the location of the cancer. CT scans can also show the organs near the pancreas, as well as lymph nodes and distant organs where the cancer might have spread. The CT scan can help determine whether surgery will be a good treatment option." (How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?)
mri scans
Instead of using x-rays like a CT scan, MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets. The energy from the radio waves is absorbed into the body and then released in a unique pattern formed by body tissues and diseases. A computer will then translate the pattern into an image picturing parts of the body. Like a CT scanner, MRI scans produce cross-sectional images. However, they produce pictures that are parallel with the length of the body. CT scans do not do that.