The important link between radiology and cancer treatment
Radiology providers like Bay Imaging Consultants use a variety of advanced imaging technologies to see inside the body with precision and clarity. This is especially important in the oncology field, as radiology is used to detect cancer, characterize and stage cancer, plan treatment and monitor the patient to ensure treatment is working.
Imaging tests, like mammography and computed tomography (CT) are used preventively to look for cancer in its early stages—before it has a chance to spread and become life-threatening. When a person has symptoms, these same tests—along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to identify and diagnose cancer. In some cases, these tests can help your doctor decide if a biopsy is needed, or if the mass is benign and simply needs to be monitored over time.
Nuclear medicine and tests such as PET (positron emission tomography) are often used by oncologists to determine the extent of cancer within the body—which is vitally important to ensuring the right treatment course is recommended. Unlike anatomical tests like CT and MRI, nuclear medicine and PET are physiological tests that use special radioisotopes that are injected into the body and attach themselves to cancer cells, making tumors easier to spot and monitor over time. PET can also be used to determine if cancer is in remission or has come back (recurred) after treatment.
During the last two decades, radiology has also become increasingly involved in the treatment of cancer.
Interventional oncology is a specialized field within radiology where a specially trained interventional radiologist uses a variety of minimally invasive techniques to treat, or assist in treating, cancerous tumors.
Some techniques are designed to precisely destroy cancer cells directly, such as microwave ablation and cryoablation. During a procedure, the interventional radiologist advances a special catheter inside the body and directly to the tumor. Extreme heat (microwave ablation) or extreme cold (cryoablation) destroys cancer cells to reduce tumor size.
Other “embolization” approaches, such as chemoembolization and radioembolization, are designed to cut off blood supply to the tumor, while simultaneously and precisely delivering powerful therapy. Using a catheter inserted into the bloodstream and guided into the arteries feeding the tumor, chemotherapy is delivered directly to a tumor through its blood supply (chemoembolization) and radiation may be delivered in the same way (radioembolization). The advantage to these approaches is that unlike systemic therapy (treatment delivered to the entire body), these embolization approaches minimize or completely avoid the toxic effects of the treatment on healthy tissues and organs.
In addition to providing professional radiological interpretations to East and North Bay hospitals, we operate and manage outpatient imaging centers throughout the greater East Bay and provide radiology services to these and other independent PET and MRI centers. Many of our more than 100 radiologists are subspecialty trained and are highly experienced with oncology imaging and minimally invasive therapies.
