Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects more oesophageal cancers:

Testing for the biochemical marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) could increase the detection of cancer spread from the oesophagus, US researchers have said. Using reverse transcriptase PCR, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh analysed 123 lymph nodes from 30 patients with oesophageal cancer. Of the 73 nodes that were negative on histology, 33 were found to have CEA mRNA and would therefore be classed as node-positive tumours. Use of the test increased the number of node-positive tumours from 41% to 70%.