A variety of imaging techniques — CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray — are used to help diagnose cancer in the body. Radiologists also help identify cancer cells through biopsies. Since Radiology addresses every system in the body, we’re uniquely positioned to collaborate with oncologists to handle multi-stage, complex cancer cases.
Some Cancer Imaging Procedures Include:
Some women — because of their family history, a genetic tendency or certain other factors — should be screened with MRI in addition to mammograms. The number of women who fall into this category is small: less than 2 percent of all the women in the United States. Talk with your doctor about your history and whether you should have additional tests.
Breast MRI helps to detect small lesions sometimes missed by mammography — without using radiation or compressing the breasts. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to take very clear pictures of soft tissues, so it can be extremely useful in breast imaging.
Ultrasound uses sound waves instead of X-rays to exam breast tissue. A transducer is passed over the breast. The transmitted sound waves are translated into a picture on a monitor. It does not cause discomfort and, because it does not use radiation, it carries very little risk.
Ultrasound is useful for women with dense breasts or for evaluating suspicious areas seen by mammography or felt during a breast exam. It can also find breast lesions that are close to the chest, where mammography is less useful. Breast ultrasound can distinguish between cysts, which are fluid-filled, versus other types of solid breast masses.
Mammography is a type of low-dose X-ray of the breast. It reveals masses and micro-calcifications within and around the breast that may indicate breast problems including, but not just limited to cancer.
Experts recommend a mammography screening of the breasts at regular intervals to increase the chance of early cancer detection and treatment. The American College of Radiology recommends women aged 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
Lung cancer CT screening is one of the most accurate diagnostic tools for finding lung cancer at an early stage, when it is most treatable. CT scans of the lung are able to detect small abnormalities in the lungs that could be the beginning stages of lung cancer. These indicators are often not visible on a routine chest X-ray. Since a CT lung screening offers the best opportunity for successful treatment of lung cancer before symptoms are noticed, more physicians are opting for lung cancer screening based on risk factors (like smoking and family history), rather than symptoms.
Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves to image the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels, in real-time. The prostate gland and surrounding tissue are examined by the insertion of an ultrasound probe into the patient’s rectum. There are no harmful effects, and it gives a clearer picture of soft tissues than X-ray images.
A thyroid scan shows, in video images, how well a patient’s thyroid is functioning, along with its structure and position. This type of study can be used to diagnose hyperthyroidism, cancer, and other abnormalities, such as lumps or inflammation, in this important organ. Like other scans that are used to determine whether an organ is functioning properly, a thyroid scan is a nuclear medicine test; that is, it uses intravenous radiotracers detected by a special camera to provide pictures that show
