Melanoma Diagnosis
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Diagnosing Melanoma
In order to diagnose melanoma, your dermatologist may first take an excisional biopsy of the suspicious growth. During this procedure, your doctor will numb the area in question and remove a piece of the growth, if not the entire growth. Your doctor will submit the specimen to a laboratory to check for the presence of cancerous cells.
If the results of the excisional biopsy are positive for melanoma, your doctor will use the TNM staging system to determine the extent of the disease.
Diagnostic Tests for Melanoma
After the entire cancerous tumor is removed, your doctor may perform one or a combination of the following tests to better assess whether or not the cancer has metastasized (spread) to other locations in the body.
Aside from blood tests and X-rays, your doctor may use one of the following imaging modalities:
MRI – This tool officially called magnetic resonance imaging, creates detailed, cross-sectional pictures of the inside of the body. Using radiofrequency waves, powerful magnets, and a computer, MRI systems are able to distinguish between normal and diseased tissue. MRI is often used to detect cancer in areas, such as the brain, which are common points of metastasis for melanoma.
PET scan – Short for positron emission tomography, a PET scan creates computerized pictures of the inside of the body. After being injected with glucose solution containing a small amount of radioactive material, cancerous cells become apparent during the scanning process.
CT – Short for computed tomography, this X-ray procedure uses a computer to generate three-dimensional, cross-sectional images of the body and is more accurate than a traditional X-ray.
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