 Departments and Services > Cancer Center > Diagnostic Capabilities
A highly accurate, rapid diagnosis is the critical first step in healing. For that reason, Hallmark Health offers a full range of diagnostic imaging.
Diagnostic capabilities include PET/CT scanning, MRI, ultrasound, digital mammography, nuclear medicine (including sentinel node procedures) and gastrointestinal procedures to detect cancer or precancerous conditions, tumors, or to assess the spread of the disease.
PET/CT is available at Lawrence Memorial Hospital where state of the art PET scans have been available for quite some time. The combination of PET/CT scans in one image gives doctors the ability to precisely pinpoint where and how active a tumor might be. PET/CT enhances your physician's ability to develop a treatment plan that fits both the cancer and the patient.
Digital Mammography is available at several different Hallmark Health locations. Digital mammography has been proven to be significantly more advanced than traditional film mammography. Digital mammography offers a better visualization of breast tissue, while reducing the amount of radiation. It has improved early detection of breast cancer by 20%.
If something abnormal is found on the mammogram, a biopsy may be required. A biopsy is the only way to know if cancer is present. The hospitals at Hallmark Health perform several types of biopsies depending on the
position and size of a suspicious lump: stereotactic biopsy; surgical biopsy; core needle biopsy; fine needle aspirations; as well as sentinel-node biopsies.
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