specialty screenings to help detect cancers early
CMC offers specialty screenings to help detect cancers early, when treatment is most effective. Specialty screenings include:
Breast Cancer Screening
Our advanced
breast imaging technology helps identify the earliest signs of cancer in every breast, even the most difficult to screen.
Our mammography services are accredited by the American College of Radiology and certified by the Food and Drug Administration.
Low-Dose CT for Lung Cancer Screening
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in New Hampshire and the United States. Unlike many other types of cancer, like breast and colon cancer, people do not seek out screening as often. As a result, lung cancer is diagnosed often at a later stage when treatment is difficult.
The aim of lung cancer screening is to find lung cancer in its earlier stages, when it is easier to treat and often before any symptoms are noticeable.
Low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screenings are recommended for people who:
- Ages 50-77, and
- Have a smoking history equal to or greater than 20 years (20 packs/year), and
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years.
You must complete a shared decision making visit with your provider before having a LDCT.
A low dose CT Scan of the chest is a very quick, painless procedure that takes only a few minutes to perform and exposes you to a much lower dose of radiation than a traditional chest CT scan.
Your examination will be interpreted by a radiologist and your results are shared with your physician. If you have a finding on your CT that needs further evaluation, your doctor will talk to you about next steps. CMC physicians work together closely so you can receive the care you need.
Prostate MRi
MRIs are used to get detailed images of the inside of a person’s body. It’s a technology that is especially good at looking at soft tissue. Prostate MRI helps detect whether there is cancer in the prostate, how aggressive and how advanced it is. Prostate cancer, when detected early enough, is highly treatable.
A prostate MRI may be ordered for a patient who has the symptoms of prostate cancer but has had a negative biopsy. It can also help locate and stage a prostate tumor to help determine the right course of treatment. Because there is no radiation exposure with an MRI, it can be repeated to monitor a tumor without the need for repeat biopsies.
The prostate MRI is a non-invasive, outpatient procedure performed at CMC. It is a contrast-enhanced procedure, meaning the radiologist uses IV dye to help identify prostate cancer. Patients lie on a table and are guided into a tube-like machine. The entire procedure takes about half an hour.
The study will be interpreted by a fellowship-trained radiologist with expertise in prostate imaging.
Recurrent Prostate Cancer
CMC offers a new screening especially for patients who have had prostate cancer treated by surgery and other interventions, but have a new increase in PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels. PET/CT Imaging with Axumin evaluates for recurrence of disease in the prostate bed or elsewhere in the body.