Medical Procedures & Tests

• Adrenalectomy

  This surgery removes one or both adrenal glands. These small glands are on top of each of your kidneys. They make hormones that are used for many body functions. You may need to have an adrenal gland removed if your doctor finds cancer or a growth in it. This surgery also helps if your adrenal glands make too many hormones.

• After Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
  Finding out you have breast cancer can be shocking. You may feel overwhelmed. You may be unsure of what to do next. So let's stop for a moment, take a deep breath and look at the path ahead.
• Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND)
  When you have breast cancer, there's a danger it can spread through your body. If it does spread, it will often move through the lymph nodes in your underarm area. This procedure removes these lymph nodes. We do it to learn more about your cancer. It can also keep your cancer from spreading.
• Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)
  This is a group of tests performed on a sample of your blood. The tests measure different chemicals in your blood plasma. This is the pale yellow liquid part of your blood. Your blood cells float in this liquid. By examining your plasma, your doctor can learn about the health of many systems in your body.
• Biological Therapy/Immunotherapy (Overview)
  Your immune system helps detect and destroy invading germs. But because cancer cells are made from your own tissue, your immune system may not always see these cells as something that should be attacked. The goal of biological therapy, also called "immunotherapy," is to help your immune system recognize and fight cancer cells. There are several types of biological therapies. Let's look at the three main types.
• Biological Therapy/Immunotherapy (Side Effects)
  Biological therapy patients are treated with substances commonly thought of as "natural." Your treatment may use proteins or other materials naturally produced by the human body. These are usually easier on your body than strong chemotherapy drugs. But biological therapy, also called "immunotherapy," does have side effects.
• Biopsy
  This procedure collects a sample of a growth or mass of tissue. There are many types of biopsies. Some are very simple, and some are a bit more complex.
• Bone Marrow Transplantation
  Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the large bones in your body. It's where new blood cells are made. Bone marrow can be damaged by disease. It can be destroyed by chemotherapy or by radiation therapy. A bone marrow transplant uses healthy stem cells to rebuild your damaged bone marrow.
• Breast Biopsy
  You've found a lump in your breast. Or, maybe we've noticed a suspicious area during a breast exam. We need to look closely at cells in that area for signs of breast cancer. We do this with a breast biopsy. This procedure takes samples of tissue from your breast.
• Breast Cancer Screening
  It's best to catch breast cancer as early as possible. And we do this with regular breast cancer screening. "Screening" refers to all the ways we check breasts for cancer. Let's take a moment to learn more.
• Can I Get Cancer From My Cellular Phone?
  Cell phones are a necessity for many of us. Each year, it seems like our phones play a more important role in our lives. But are they safe? From what we know now, yes, they're safe. But, more research is being done to make sure. Here's what we know.
• Can I Get Cancer From My Microwave Oven?
  Microwave ovens are a standard convenience in virtually every home. We use them regularly for meals and snacks. We use them to heat up lunches at work. We even use them to heat frozen foods at convenience stores. Are they safe? Yes, and here's some information on how they work.
• Cancer Vaccines
  Cancer vaccines stimulate your immune system. They help your immune system recognize and fight viruses linked to cancer, or fight cancer cells directly. There are two types of cancer vaccines, "preventative" vaccines and "treatment" vaccines.
• Chemotherapy (Overview)
  This cancer treatment, commonly called "chemo," uses powerful drugs to target the cancer cells in your body. These drugs kill your cancer cells, or slow their growth and keep them from spreading. Chemotherapy can be used on its own. It can also be combined with other cancer treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy (Side Effects)
  The powerful drugs used in chemotherapy don't just kill cancer cells. They can also harm healthy cells in your body. For some people, this causes unpleasant side effects. Let's learn about how chemotherapy can affect you.
• Clinical Trials for Cancer Treatment
  As part of your cancer treatment, you may have the option to take part in a clinical trial. This is a study of a drug or a procedure, usually one that has not yet been approved for widespread use. Clinical trials help doctors determine which treatments are effective and which are not.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  This is an examination of your blood cells. It gives your doctor information about your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, along with other features of your blood. Your doctor may recommend this test as part of your routine healthcare, or to look for signs of a specific disease or disorder. Your doctor may also use this test to monitor a blood disorder or to monitor your health during treatment.
• Coping With Cancer-Related Fatigue
  Fatigue is a common problem for people who have cancer. It's a feeling of deep exhaustion that affects your body and your mind. It's draining, and even sleep doesn't fully refresh you. But there are things you can do. Try these simple strategies to fight fatigue.
• Epidural for Cancer
  This procedure is an injection of anesthetic into the lower back. This type of injection is used to relieve pain that does not respond to oral or IV medications.
• Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Tumor
  This nonsurgical procedure uses beams of radiation to treat tumors or lesions deep inside the brain. The treatment may take several hours. Children may be given general anesthesia to keep them from moving during the procedure, but adults are usually kept awake.
• Gastrectomy

  This surgery removes part or all of your stomach. It's used to treat stomach problems that can't be helped in other ways. You may need this surgery if you have stomach bleeding or inflammation. You may need it if you have growths we call "polyps." It's also used to treat cancer.

• Glossectomy

  This surgery treats tongue cancer. To get all of the cancer, a small or large part of your tongue may be removed. In some cases, the entire tongue must be removed.

• Hormone Therapy for Cancer

  As part of your cancer care plan, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy. It's a way of fighting cancer cells by cutting off the hormones they need to grow. Let's take a few minutes to learn more.

• Implanted Venous Access Port
  This device is a small chamber placed beneath the skin of your chest or upper arm. An access port allows your healthcare team to inject medicines and fluids into your bloodstream easily. The port can also be used to take samples of your blood.
• Life After Cancer Treatment
  Congratulations, you've finished your cancer treatment. Instead of frequent doctor visits and test results, you can finally start living again. But you may find that life just feels different now. So let's take a few minutes to look at the road ahead.
• Liver Biopsy (Percutaneous)
  During this outpatient procedure, one or more small samples of tissue are taken from the liver. These tissue samples will be studied under a microscope. A liver biopsy can help identify problems in the liver. If the patient has a liver disease, a biopsy can help doctors determine the type and severity.
• Living With Cancer
  A diagnosis of cancer changes your life. It changes the lives of your loved ones, too. It may leave you facing some unexpected challenges. But you don't have to let cancer rob you of your happiness. There are healthy ways to deal with cancer. Here are some coping strategies.
• Living With Chronic Pain
  If you have pain that lasts for more than six months, you have "chronic" pain. It's different from the temporary pain you feel when you hurt yourself. With chronic pain, you may not know why you are hurting. Your pain may affect your whole body and your mind, causing problems that ripple through every part of your life. But there is hope. Here are some tips to help you manage chronic pain.
• Living With Prostate Cancer
  When you're living with prostate cancer, it's important to stay as healthy as possible. Proper diet and exercise help you fight the disease. Here are some tips that really make a difference.
• Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer
  We'd all like to avoid breast cancer. Some risk factors, like your genetic makeup, can't be changed. But did you know there are other things you can do to lower your risk for this disease? Let's take a moment to learn more.
• Lumpectomy
  This surgery removes cancer (or other abnormal tissue) from your breast. A small amount of healthy tissue is taken, too, but the rest of the breast tissue is spared. The goal of a lumpectomy is to leave you with as much natural breast tissue as possible. We also call it "breast-conserving" surgery.
• Lymph Node Biopsy
  This procedure takes a sample of lymph node tissue from your body. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands. They're part of your lymphatic system. Cancer may spread through this system to other parts of your body. With a biopsy, we can look for these spreading cancer cells.
• Mammogram
  This is an x-ray of your breast. We use it to check for signs of breast cancer. A mammogram helps us find cancer early. It can find cancer even before you feel a lump in your breast.
• Mastectomy
  This surgery removes one or both breasts. Most often, it's used to treat breast cancer. We also use it to prevent breast cancer in those who have a very high risk for the disease. Let's take a moment to learn more.
• Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS)
  This is a surgery for skin cancer. With this technique, the surgeon carefully studies tissue as it is removed to make sure no cancer cells are left behind. It's often used for cancers of the face and neck. It can be good for cancers that are rare or aggressive.
• Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation
  Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the large bones in your body. It’s where new blood cells are made. Bone marrow can be damaged by disease. It can be destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. A stem cell transplant uses healthy stem cells to rebuild your damaged bone marrow.
• PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography)
  This scan lets doctors see inside your body. A PET scan is different from an MRI or a CT scan, because it shows how your organs and systems are working. It can give doctors a clear view of some types of cancer cells, which show up brightly on a PET scan. It can also help doctors diagnose other disorders throughout your body.
• Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) for Precancerous Lesions of the Skin
  This non-invasive outpatient procedure uses a topical, light-activated medication to eliminate precancerous lesions of the skin. PDT can also help rejuvenate the skin, softening the appearance of wrinkles and scars.
• Prostate Biopsy
  This procedure uses a needle to take a sample of tissue from your prostate. That's a small gland found in men. It makes fluid that mixes with sperm to form semen. A biopsy lets your doctor look for cancer cells in your prostate.
• Prostate Seed Implantation (Permanent Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy)
  This treatment uses radioactive pellets called "seeds" to destroy prostate cancer cells. The seeds are implanted in your prostate. Each seed is about the size of a grain of rice.
• Radiation Therapy
  This uses radiation to kill cancer cells. It can shrink tumors. There are several types of radiation therapy. Let's learn about the main ones.
• Radiation Therapy (Side Effects)
  Radiation therapy is an effective way to destroy cancer cells. But in the process, it can also damage healthy cells in your body. This creates serious side effects for many patients.
• Robot-Assisted Laparoscopy

  This advanced form of laparoscopic surgery uses a robot with special arms. The arms are controlled by the surgeon. They help us do complex surgeries through small openings in your skin.

• Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
  This is a test to look for cancer cells in one or more of your lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures. They're part of your lymphatic system. Cancer can spread through this system to other parts of your body.
• Small Bowel Resection

  This surgery removes part of your small intestine. It's used for disease or damage that can't be treated with other methods.

• Talking to Kids About Breast Cancer
  You or your partner have breast cancer. It's time to tell the kids. But what do you say? How much should you tell them? Let's take a moment to go over the basics.
• Targeted Therapy
  Cancer treatments like traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy are designed to kill cancer cells. But they also harm healthy cells. This can cause serious side effects. Targeted therapy is a different type of treatment. It targets only the cancer cells in your body. This minimizes the damage to healthy cells.
• Thoracotomy
  This is an opening we make in your chest. It lets us get to your lungs and other organs. We can do several things through the thoracotomy. We can examine your organs. We can take a tissue sample. And, we can perform surgery through the opening.
• Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TUR or TURBT)
  During this procedure, your doctor removes a tumor from the inner wall of your bladder. That's the organ that holds your urine. Transurethral resection can help your doctor diagnose and treat bladder cancer.
• Urinalysis
  This urine test can show a variety of problems in your body. Your doctor may order a urinalysis to check for signs of urinary tract infection or kidney disease. The test can also show signs of diabetes or pregnancy.
• What Does an Oncologist Do?
  An oncologist is a doctor who specializes in cancer care. They identify cancer and find ways to treat it. They work closely with you to develop an effective care plan.
• You've Found a Lump in Your Breast
  You've noticed a change in your breast. You can feel or see a lump that isn't normally there. You're worried, and you aren't sure what to do next. So let's take a moment to learn about breast lumps and how we deal with them.