This tests the electrical activity of the heart and is used to check how well it is working. For young people with cancer, the most common reason for having it is to make sure that your heart is working normally before treatment starts. It can also be used to see if treatment has caused any changes to your heart, by comparing them before and after.

what happens?

You can eat and drink normally before the test and it can be done as an outpatient. You need to undress to the waist and put on a gown that opens at the front. The technician will then stick around 12 discs to your chest area. They will be all over the chest and feel cold when they are put on. Then some wires are connected to these discs. These wires are linked to a machine which records the heart's electrical activity.

It is painless and if you have had it as an outpatient, you can go home afterwards. The results should be ready in a few days.