With so many imaging centers dotted around Central Florida, it’s easy to surmise that medical imaging plays a major role in modern healthcare. But what is its specific function in the treatment of cancer? Actually, medical imaging is a primary component across every aspect of successful cancer treatment, from cancer discovery to ongoing analysis of disease progression to the monitoring of therapies.
Radiologists and oncologists rely on medical imaging systems to assist in the detection and diagnosis of cancer, ideally in its earliest stages. Advances in imaging techniques have not only helped to save countless lives, but also promoted safer, speedier, more effective treatment.
State-of-the-art medical imaging, including high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and other modalities offer myriad advantages in the detection and treatment of cancer compared to the bygone era before such sophisticated radiological technologies were available.
Cancer-Detecting Benefits of Medical Imaging
Here are some important ways medical imaging assists in the vanquishing of cancer:
Routine Screening – It used to be that people received medical imaging only after symptoms of disease appeared, which was too-often too late for successful treatment. Cancer screening can detect cancer in people long before symptoms demonstrate disease is present. As examples, mammography can discover breast cancer even before it can be felt through self-examination; and low-dose computed tomography, or LDCT, can detect lung cancer long before symptoms have time to develop, usually a sign that cancer has spread outside the lung. By engaging in regular screening, these cancers can be discovered while they’re localized and most easily treated.
Spotting Abnormalities – Big progressions in imaging clarity make it possible to detect even minute tumors, masses and structural changes in the body's tissues, organs and systems. By finding anomalies early in their course, cancer may be discovered before it has time to metastasize (spread) and become more difficult to treat.
Quicker Diagnosis – Imaging scans can identify small tumors or lesions that may not be palpable or visible through physical examination. Early-stage cancer diagnosis and prompt intervention promote more treatment options, superior treatment outcomes, and higher survival rates.
Biopsy Guidance – When an imaging scan suggests the possible presence of cancer, a biopsy is often required to confirm the diagnosis. Medical imaging can provide pinpoint guidance so your radiologist can target the area under scrutiny for outstanding accuracy in tissue collection and the lowest risk of harm to healthy tissues. It has momentously reduced the need for approximation and guesswork in sample collection.
Reduced Risk – While exploratory surgeries and biopsy sample collections are sometimes necessary, the need for such procedures has been dramatically reduced thanks to advancements in image guided biopsies that provide non-invasive methods to visualize internal structures. This minimizes patient discomfort and the risks and complications associated with more invasive procedures, and reduces any healing time involved.
Superior Treatment Staging – When cancer is diagnosed, medical imaging provides significant information about the extent of disease. Staging is instrumental in developing a prognosis and planning appropriate treatment. Imaging helps your medical team identify the size, location and characteristics of the abnormality, and determine whether it has metastasized to nearby lymph nodes or distant organs. Tailoring a treatment plan based on comprehensive information promotes optimal outcomes.
Informed Treatment Planning – After cancer diagnosis and staging, medical imaging continues to guide and improve treatment planning by defining the precise location and size of the tumor, allowing for targeted treatment. This specificity can help your care team determine the best treatment approach, whether surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these protocols.
Minimally-invasive Procedures – Medical imaging is a key service component of RAO’s Center for Vascular Health, where our Board-certified Interventional Radiologists work with your oncologist to perform the best procedure to help with your cancer treatment. Procedures such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation, or port placement for chemotherapy.
Treatment Monitoring – Once a cancer treatment has been employed, medical imaging can be used to monitor the response to therapy, so elements such as changes in tumor size can be closely scrutinized. Regular imaging scans, including real-time imaging, can reveal whether a treatment is working as planned or if adjustments may be required to improve its effectiveness.
Detection of Recurrence – After the successful treatment of cancer, medical imaging remains invaluable for detecting any early cancer recurrence. Regular follow-up scans can help your medical team identify signs that cancer has returned, even before symptoms appear, when intervention may be most effective.
Personalized Care – Advances in certain functional imaging techniques can help identify specific molecular and metabolic characteristics of tumors, facilitating the application of targeted therapies designed for each patient’s circumstances, creating a more personalized approach to cancer treatment.
Medical Imaging Is Fundamental in Cancer Treatment
Cutting-edge medical imaging delivers life-saving advances in the early detection, diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and monitoring of cancer. These technologies not only enhance the accuracy of diagnoses, they can also reduce the need for more invasive interventions, and strengthen doctors’ ability to treat cancer effectively.
Of course, every patient wants to be assured that the medical imaging procedures being used in their care are the most modern, advanced and sophisticated of their kind. RAO offers state-of-the-art high-field MRI, CT, PET/CT, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, 3D mammography and other leading-edge modalities. RAO’s imaging technologies are operated by highly-trained and -skilled technologists, and all imaging results are interpreted by our team of Board-certified, subspecializing radiologists for outstanding accuracy, attention-to-detail and timely answers, for the highest standard of care.
