What kinds of tests are done to evaluate if the tumor has spread?
To investigate exactly where the tumor is and if it has spread to other tissues or organs your doctor will order various blood tests and X-rays and other tests. CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are done to see exactly where the tumor is and how big it is. CAT (computerized axial tomography) of the lungs and nuclear whole body bone scan are two standard tests to assess if the tumor has spread to the lungs or the bones, respectively. Some subtypes have a tendency to spread to the nearby or distant lymph nodes (rhabdomyosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma, epitheloid sarcoma and synovial sarcoma). If you have one of these tumors your doctor may order a procedure called sentinel lymph node biopsy. Patients with rhabdomyosarcoma can have spread of their tumor to the bone marrow and a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy is routinely done in all of these patients. All of the above tests and procedures are considered standard of care
