Saint Francis Medical Center's Cancer Institute, affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer NetworkTM and approved to offer the MD Anderson Cancer Manager® program, provides a variety of diagnosing methods, including:
Blood and urine testing
Many kinds of blood and urine tests are used to help diagnose cancer, follow its development and monitor a patient's response to treatment.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure use to look inside the body, usually through the mouth or anus, using a small lighted, flexible tube called an endoscope.
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves very small incisions in the abdomen using a specialized instrument called a laparscope.
Mammography
Mammography detects tumors or other abnormalities of breasts through digital and X-ray imaging. Mammography can be used either for screening or for diagnostic purposes in evaluating a breast lump.
Nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive materials that are attracted to specific organs, bones and tissues and emit gamma rays that can be detected externally by special types of cameras, such as a P.E.T. scanner.
P.E.T./CT
Positron emission tomography (P.E.T.) images are combined with computerized tomography (CT) images into a single scan to view tumor location, shape, size and metabolic activity simultaneously.
PET F18 Bone Survey
The PET F18 Bone Survey sets the new standard in bone imaging by helping capture high-definition bone images to more easily and accurately detect cancer that has metastasized or spread to the bone.
Physical examination
Physical examinations allow doctors to feel for lumps under and look for abnormalities on the skin's surface.
Radiography
Radiography uses X-rays to capture images of the body's internal structures on a specially sensitized film.
Surgical biopsy
Surgical biopsy involves the removal of tissues, cells or fluids from the body for examination.
Thoracoscopy
During thoracoscopy, tiny incisions are made in the chest wall and an endoscope is used to view the interior of the lung and remove small pieces of tissue.
Ultrasound
This test uses high-frequency sound waves to capture internal images.