Your GP will ask you questions about your symptoms and look at your medical history to see what illnesses you have had in the past.

If your GP suspects that there is a problem with your oesophagus, you will need to see a specialist at a nearby hospital. There are NHS cancer referral guidelines to help GPs decide who needs to see a specialist, and how quickly.

At the hospital you are likely to have these tests:

Endoscopy
An endoscopy is a camera test to look down the oesophagus and into the stomach. Local anaesthetic or sedation is usually used to reduce feeling and awareness. A thin, lighted tube is then passed through the mouth and down the length of the oesophagus. If abnormal areas are found, the doctor can use the endoscope to collect tissue samples and cells. This is called a biopsy. The cells collected in the biopsy can be looked at under a microscope and may show cancer, changes in tissue that may lead to cancer, or other conditions.

If the endoscopy shows that you have, or might have cancer, further tests will be performed

Computerised tomography (CT or CAT scan)
This is a type of X-ray that creates a three-dimensional picture of the inside of your body. You lie on a couch while you pass through a large, hollow ring.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
This test is like the endoscopy, but the endoscope used has a special sound wave tip to show the tissues around the oesophagus with increased detail.

Bone scan
A small amount of radioactive substance is injected into a vein. It travels through the bloodstream and collects temporarily in the bones. An instrument called a scanner creates images of the bones on a computer or onto film. This can show whether cancer has spread to the bones.

Other tests
You will also have blood, urine and fitness tests to check your general health.

Some other tests you may have include:

bronchoscopy
barium studies
MRI scan
PET
laparoscopy
laparotomy