Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

Early detection means better outcomes.

Sharp HealthCare offers a full range of state-of-the-art cancer diagnostic services including mammography, PET scanning, spiral computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, needle biopsies, surgical biopsy and pathology programs for all types of cancer.

Lung cancer screening program.

Spiral CT scanning can detect lung cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages. This innovative approach may eventually become as widely accepted for lung cancer as mammography screening is for breast cancer.

Mammography services.

Sharp HealthCare is a leading provider of women's care and women's imaging services. Yearly screening mammograms are recommended for all women over the age of 40, in conjunction with monthly breast self-exams and yearly clinical breast exams by a health care professional.

Sharp has the expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to administer everything from yearly screening mammography to the most complex diagnostic procedures, including additional mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, ultrasound-guided breast core biopsy and breast MRI, when warranted.

Sharp now offers Selenia™ digital mammography system — providing patients with the highest quality of care in the prevention and early detection of breast cancer. Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor, and transmitted and stored just like computer files.

PET imaging.

PET (positron-emission tomography) imaging is a noninvasive whole-body imaging technique that detects metabolic changes that are unobtainable by other imaging methods. It can detect several types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, head and neck cancers (excluding CNS or thyroid), lung cancer, melanoma, single pulmonary nodules and lymphoma (Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's).

Sentinel node biopsy.

The involvement of lymph nodes is one of the most significant factors that doctors use to identify the stage of a patient's breast cancer. Often, after the primary tumor is removed, breast cancer patients will undergo some type of node biopsy or lymph node dissection procedure. Until recently, the only method to identify if the lymph nodes were affected was to perform a complete lymphadenectomy — surgical removal of all associated lymph nodes.

Now sentinel node biopsy is available for some patients. In this procedure the physician injects a blue dye and a very short-lived radio-isotope marker into the patient; the dye and marker identify the "sentinel" node(s), or find the first node(s) draining the tumor in the breast area. This sentinel node can then be removed and tested by the pathologist. If this node is positive, showing signs that the cancer has spread, then the surgeon may remove the other nodes in the underarm area.

Sentinel node biopsy offers easier recovery from the lymph node removal procedure. In addition, there is a lower chance of lymphedema or other side effects.

Pathology services.

The pathology team at Sharp uses the latest techniques to identify the origins of tumors to accurately diagnose and stage malignancies.