physical exam

Then, a general dermatologist performed a physical exam using the visual appearance of the blemishes and a dermatoscope to make a diagnosis, and if needed, performed a biopsy.

"My tumour was so small it couldn't be felt on a physical exam," she wrote, adding that had she delayed her scans "it could have spread".

"The second stage is the system review, when you obtain additional information from the patient. The third stage is the physical exam, and the fourth is diagnostic testing and imaging."

The left-handed relief pitcher had been invited to attend the New York team’s spring training in Florida in 2012, but failed his physical exam and was cut before training started.

Gastroenterologists say such tests could become part of the routine blood work that doctors order when, for example, a person comes in for an annual physical exam.