Gastrointestinal surgery: staging of oesophageal cancer: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Gastrointestinal surgery: staging of oesophageal cancer

Sample item

A 60-year-old man has biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the lower oesophagus and CT shows no distant disease. Which investigation best defines depth of tumour invasion and regional nodal involvement?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Endoscopic ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound is the most accurate test for local T and N staging of oesophageal cancer, showing the layers of the wall and enabling fine-needle aspiration of nodes. CT and PET-CT are used to detect distant metastases.

Option by option

  • A. Barium swallow

    A barium swallow shows the length and shape of a stricture but not the depth of invasion.

  • B. Endoscopic ultrasound (correct)

    Correct. It images the wall layers and adjacent nodes at high resolution.

  • C. Plain chest radiograph

    A plain radiograph cannot stage the tumour.

  • D. Bronchoscopy

    Bronchoscopy is used to look for airway invasion in upper and middle third tumours, not for T and N staging.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Endoscopic ultrasound. Endoscopic ultrasound is the most accurate test for local T and N staging of oesophageal cancer, showing the layers of the wall and enabling fine-needle aspiration of nodes.

Why is "Barium swallow" not the answer?

A barium swallow shows the length and shape of a stricture but not the depth of invasion.

Why is "Plain chest radiograph" not the answer?

A plain radiograph cannot stage the tumour.

Why is "Bronchoscopy" not the answer?

Bronchoscopy is used to look for airway invasion in upper and middle third tumours, not for T and N staging.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Gastrointestinal surgery: staging of oesophageal cancer in General Surgery. CT and PET-CT are used to detect distant metastases.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Gastrointestinal surgery: staging of oesophageal cancer?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.