Breast Cancer Diagnosis
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At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we understand the importance of a thorough and accurate diagnosis in ensuring you receive the most effective breast cancer treatments for your situation.
Within the first two days of your arrival at our hospital, we will perform a complete array of diagnostic tests. Our clinicians will also review your medical records, including your health history. This information helps us to formulate treatment recommendations best suited to you.
Diagnostic Tools, Tests & Procedures for Breast Cancer
The team of breast cancer experts at CTCA uses cutting-edge diagnostic tests, tools and procedures to accurately locate and stage the disease. Throughout your breast cancer treatment, we will use imaging and laboratory tests to track the size of the tumors, monitor your response to treatment, and make any necessary modifications.
Your CTCA care team may use any of the following diagnostic tools to plan and monitor your breast cancer treatment:
- Breast exam: Your doctor may conduct a breast exam with particular attention to enlarged lumps, nodules or breast swelling.
- Full Field Digital Mammography: This kind of mammography allows us to quickly acquire exceptionally sharp, digital images of your breasts. More so, it lets us obtain these images while exposing you to less radiation and discomfort than you would experience with traditional mammography. Once the digital images are acquired and transmitted to a high-tech, digital mammography workstation, our radiologists analyze the images to determine the precise location and extent of the disease. This technology offers the potential for significant advances in breast cancer diagnosis, including lower radiation doses, reduced breast compression pressure, and improved breast cancer detection rates. Often the best way to find DCIS early is with a mammogram.
- Biopsy: During this procedure your doctor removes cells from the breast and inspects them under a microscope to see if they are cancerous. Some common biopsies used to diagnose breast cancer include: fine needle aspiration biopsy (which uses a small needle), core needle biopsy (which uses a larger needle), or surgical biopsy (in which all or part of a lump is removed and checked for cancer). Your doctor may first perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy to determine which lymph nodes need to be removed.
- Ultrasound: This technology uses high-frequency sound waves to produce precise images of the breast tissues. It allows us to detect the slightest abnormalities in dense breasts and helps us determine whether a lump is a cyst (sac containing fluid) or a solid mass. It can also be used to precisely locate the position of a tumor in order to guide your doctor during a biopsy or aspiration procedure. For example, in some cases, our surgical oncologists will use an intraoperative ultrasound during a lumpectomy to mark out the boundaries of the tumor prior to its removal.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): This technology uses radiofrequency waves to create detailed cross-sectional images of the breasts. MRI helps us to identify tumors that may have been missed by a mammogram.
- PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography): A CT scan generates three-dimensional, cross-sectional images of the breasts while a PET scan accurately pinpoints the location of cancerous cells. Combining these scans in a single machine provides a greater level of accuracy. In April 2009, CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in the nation to offer the Discovery™ PET/CT 600 scanner. This technology offers advanced motion management capabilities and can detect lesions as small as 2.0 millimeters. This is especially valuable for cancers in or near tissues affected by movement, such as the breast.
- Oncotype DX®: This lab test is used to determine if chemotherapy is likely to benefit women with early stage breast cancer. It also helps us to know the likelihood of disease recurrence. With this information, you and your doctor can make more informed decisions about your breast cancer treatment.
- Miraluma Breast Imaging: This nuclear medicine test helps us produce striking pictures of malignant lesions in the midst of dense, fibrous breast tissue. This non-invasive option can help reduce the number of breast biopsies needed and does not involve compressing your breasts as in a mammogram.
- Chemotherapy Resistance Testing: For this lab test, we remove a sample of the metastatic or recurrent breast tumor, often as part of a biopsy or other surgery. Then, we test a series of chemotherapy drugs on the sample to learn which drug may work best.
Diagnostic Tools for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Our physicians have expertise in treating breast cancer that has metastasized (spread) to other areas of the body. Some common places for breast cancer to spread are the bones, liver, lungs, skin and brain. If you are battling metastatic breast cancer, your CTCA care team will provide innovative diagnostic tests and procedures to better plan your treatment.
For example, our breast cancer experts may use radiofrequency ablation for breast cancer patients with metastasis to the liver, Endobronchial Ultrasound System (EBUS) for metastasis to the lungs, or kyphoplasty for metastasis to the bone.
Turnaround Times and Comfort Equipment
At CTCA, we understand that waiting for test results can create a great deal of stress and anxiety. To ease anxiety and help you begin your breast cancer treatments sooner, we offer reduced wait times for appointments and test results. Our turnaround time goal—from the time of the scan to providing results so treatment planning can occur—is four hours.
In addition, we also want you to be as comfortable as possible during your imaging tests. Our team uses padding and comfort equipment, as well as a variety of positioning devices, to help you feel more relaxed during scans and procedures.
Next Steps
We understand you may be feeling overwhelmed with questions and concerns about your diagnosis and what it all means. Your care team at CTCA will present you with options and guidance so you can make informed decisions about your care.
To learn more about our cancer hospitals and the innovative diagnostic tools we use to plan your breast cancer treatment, call us at 1-800-615-3055 or Chat Now. Our Oncology Information Specialists are here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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