Cancer Care

• Cancer Care Home
• About Cancer
• Diagnosis
• Treatments
• Locations
• Medical Team
• HealthEast Breast Care Center
• CyberKnife Center
• HealthEast Prostate Care
• Cancer Genetics Clinic
• Help Along the Way
• Cancer and Nutrition
• Support Groups
• Cancer Care in the News
• Helpful Web Sites
• For Referring Physicians

Change Text Size:
A    A

Diagnosing Cancer

HealthEast Cancer Care:
651-232-7970

Radiology Appointment Line:
651-232-5500

There are many methods doctors use to diagnose cancer. As researchers learn more about the mechanisms of cancer, new tools for diagnosis are constantly being developed and existing methods are being refined.

If your doctor suspects cancer, he or she may order tests to confirm the diagnosis. These tests can either be conducted by your primary care doctor or by an oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer) at a cancer center like HealthEast Cancer Care.

Accurate identification of cancer allows oncologists to choose the most effective treatments.

Biopsy

During a biopsy, a small tissue sample is surgically removed. It is then examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells. Depending on where the tumor is located, some biopsies can be done in an outpatient procedure with only local anesthesia.

If the tumor is filled with fluid, a type of biopsy called a fine needle aspiration is used. A long, thin needle is inserted directly into the area to draw out fluid samples for examination.

Endoscopy

During an endoscopy, a flexible plastic tube with a tiny camera on the end is inserted into body cavities and organs, allowing the physician to view the suspicious area. There are many types of scopes, each designed to view particular areas of the body. 

Diagnostic imaging

Diagnostic imaging produces an internal picture of the body and its structures.

Types of imaging include:

• X-rays - the most common way doctors make pictures of the inside of the body. Specialists can spot abnormal areas that may indicate cancer.
  
  
• CAT scan (computerized axial tomography) - uses radiographic beams to create detailed pictures taken with a specialized x-ray machine. It is more precise than a standard x-ray.
  
  
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - uses a powerful magnetic field to create detailed computer images of the body’s soft tissue, large blood vessels and major organs. During an MRI, patients must lie completely still for best results.
  
  
• Ultrasound - uses high-frequency sound waves to determine if a suspicious lump is solid or fluid. These sound waves are transmitted into the body and converted into a computerized image.
  
  
• PET scans (positron emission tomography) - can be useful in defining the extent of disease. It can also be used to assess response to treatment. PET is particularly useful in evaluating lymph nodes.

Blood tests

Some tumors release substances called tumor markers that can be detected in the blood. Blood tests by themselves can be inconclusive, and other methods should be used to confirm the diagnosis.