How Is Radiology Used For Diagnosis Of Cancer?
Cancer is one of the most common diseases to take thousands of lives annually. Cancer has many forms and can occur in several parts of our body. For instance, cancer occurs in bodily organs such as breasts, urinary bladder, etc.
There are many technological advancements to detect and treat cancer of multiple kinds. Such is the case with radiology. Radiology, or imaging, is one of the most effective and practical methods to detect and begin treating cancer.
Radiology consists of procedures such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and many more to detect cancer. It will help if you understand how west new york radiology is used to diagnose cancer, as it can strengthen you or anyone else with cancer.
Use of imaging tests to detect and treat cancer:
In radiology, imaging tests are a proven method to allow healthcare professionals to see inside our body for anything unusual or strange. Imaging tests send small amounts of radiation or energy to our bodies for inspection.
When energy is sent out, our body tissues change those energy patterns. These changing patterns allow imaging tests to form images of the inside of our body. After successfully capturing an image through imaging tests, a doctor can inspect them for diseases like cancer.
Below are the various ways imaging tests are used for detecting and treating cancer:
- Imaging tests are used for capturing cancer in its early stages.
- Imaging tests search for a tumor or lump if an individual has cancer symptoms.
- These tests can be used to inspect if the tumor or lump has been caused due to cancer or a different health issue.
- These tests can accurately predict if a tumor is cancerous or not.
- Radiology can be used for detecting the precise location of tumors inside the body.
- It can also be used for finding out the stage of cancer and how it can spread
- Imaging can be used for monitoring the size of the tumor
- It can be used to help healthcare professionals plan for treatment
- Lastly, imaging tests can help determine if cancer reappears or recurs after treatment.
Multiple types of imaging tests can be used to detect and treat cancer. Different types of imaging tests are mentioned below:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Breast MRI
- X-rays
- Mammography
- PET scans, gallium scans, bone scans, and other nuclear medicine scans
- Ultrasound
Each type of imaging test has its own merits over the other in treating cancer. Imaging techniques such as PET scans and X-rays can help patients and doctors plan to treat cancer if a tumor is found to be cancerous. Imaging tests also indicate the need for a biopsy, a procedure to remove a small portion of the tumor and observe it under the microscope for treatment.