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NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

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barium swallow  listen  (BAYR-ee-um SWAH-loh)

  The process of getting x-ray pictures of the esophagus or the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum). The x-ray pictures are taken after the patient drinks a liquid that contains barium sulfate (a form of the silver-white metallic element barium). The barium sulfate coats and outlines the inner walls of the esophagus and the upper GI tract so that they can be seen on the x-ray pictures.

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Barium swallow; shows barium liquid flowing through the esophagus and into the stomach.