Cancer Imaging Techniques
After a physician checks laboratory tests to detect cancer, then the physician will confirm the presence of any abnormalities by using by physical exam and then decide to do imaging method. The patient's body is visualized inside using some equipments via any of the body holes by inserting the equipment. Surely this imaging method will show the exact placement of the tumor inside the body. Using these images, a doctor can judge what is the treatment procedure to be followed and also the size of the cancer and the depth of its spread of the cancer to the adjacent organs. So cancer imaging method is vital in to detecting cancers.
Cancer X-ray Images
If the patient's complaint is pain in any area, then the doctor may order an x-ray study to be done to evaluate the pain in the area. Any cancer can be identified using x-ray method in any part of the body. Digestive tracts can be easily visualized using x-rays. Endoscopy is also used to visualize the upper and lower intestinal tract. Lung x-rays are done to visualize the cancer in the lungs and kidney x-ray study is done to confirm tumor in the urinary tract. The study of images using x-rays is called radiology and this is one of the old method in the medical field. X-rays generally give a vague idea about the presence of any abnormality inside the body.
In our body dense organs like bones can only absorb x-rays inside to give an image. Before x-ray study is done, the patient will have to swallow a liquid called barium and this method of barium consumption is called barium swallow method. The travel of the liquid inside the body is followed and so the tumor is tracked in the path of it. Cancer imaging is very useful method.
Nuclear Medicine for Cancer
In the nuclear medicine method, the visual examination is done by using radioactive isotopes. These ionizing materials will release gamma rays and so they can produce photo images on a detector. Radioactive materials are given to the patient via an injection and these radioactive materials start to confluence in the area of cancer. Some normal cells in the body absorb these materials, but not cancer cells, and so form "cold spots" in some areas and so cancer is confirmed. If the cancer spread in the bones, cancerous bones absorb radioactive materials to form "hot spots" to show the presence of cancer in the bones. We will read more about cancer imaging in the next post.
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Tags: cancer imaging techniques, breast cancer imaging, lung cancer imaging, cancer bone scan, bone scan for cancer, pet scan for lung cancer, pet scan lung cancer, lung cancer cat scan, nuclear medicine cancer treatment, cancer radiography
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