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Weight Loss


Diagnosis & Tests

How is the condition diagnosed?

Diagnosis of the cause of weight loss starts with a medical history and a physical exam. This may be all that is needed to figure out the cause in some cases. In other cases, further tests are needed. Blood and urine tests may be ordered to diagnose underlying health problems.

X-ray tests may be done, such as a chest X-ray to look for heart or lung disease. A special X-ray test, called a CT scan, can look for cancer of the pancreas or liver.