After asking about your medical history and doing a complete physical examination, your doctor may use one or more of the following tests to find out more.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound uses sound waves and their echoes to produce a picture of the inside of the body. Most people know about ultrasound because it is often used to view a baby during pregnancy. Different echo patterns can help distinguish some types of liver tumors from one another.

CT Scans (computed tomography): A CT scan uses x-rays to take many pictures of the body that are then combined by a computer to give a detailed cross-sectional image. This is a very useful test for seeing liver cancers.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays. A computer translates the pattern of radio waves into a very detailed image of parts of the body. MRI scans are very helpful in looking at liver cancers. Sometimes they can tell a benign tumor from a malignant one.

Angiography: Angiograpy is an x-ray procedure for examining blood vessels. A kind of dye is injected into an artery before the x-rays are taken. The dye outlines the blood vessels on the pictures, showing the arteries that supply blood to the liver cancer. This can help surgeons decide whether the cancer can be removed and, if so, how best to plan the operation.

Laparoscopy: The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube to view the liver and other internal organs. The tube is inserted through a small incision in the front of the abdomen. Laparoscopy provides a view of organs and can help in planning surgery or other treatments. Also, doctors can manipulate small instruments through this tube to remove tissue samples to be examined under the microscope.

Biopsy: Although other tests can suggest that a liver cancer is present, the only way to be certain is to take a biopsy (sample of the tumor tissue) and examine it under a microscope. There are several different methods that might be used to obtain the tissue sample. Biopsy samples can also be taken during laparoscopy. This allows the doctor to see the surface of the liver and take samples from areas that appear abnormal.

Blood Tests: A series of tests can be run on your blood to check for a substance called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) that is often high in people with liver cancer. Blood tests can also help reveal the condition of liver tissue not affected by the cancer.