Cancer Diagnosis

If you’re concerned you may have cancer, you want answers as soon as possible. At Beaufort Memorial’s Keyserling Cancer Center and New River Cancer Center, we offer the latest cancer screenings, advanced imaging technology and a team of experts committed to getting you a fast and accurate diagnosis.

The Information You Need to Move Forward

Sometimes an infection can be the cause of many of the same symptoms cancer produces. That’s why your doctor will need to conduct multiple tests to accurately diagnose your condition. Diagnosis starts with a physical exam and learning about your family history. Then together, you’ll discuss next steps and any recommended tests. These usually include:

Imaging Tests

Imaging tests are painless and often the first step in determining the issue. We offer some of the most advanced imaging options available at the Keyserling Cancer Center and New River Cancer Center, as well as at other convenient outpatient imaging centers in Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Okatie and Port Royal. These include state-of-the-art CT, PET/CT, MRI and ultrasound, providing crystal-clear images of even the smallest details for improved accuracy of diagnosis. The tools also often play a key role in radiation therapy by precisely mapping out tumors to maximize effectiveness of treatment while avoiding surrounding normal tissue.

Latest Tools in Breast Cancer Detection

At our Breast Health Centers in Beaufort and Bluffton/Okatie and Island Imaging Center on Hilton Head Island, we offer the most sophisticated breast cancer detection and diagnostic tools—including 3-D mammograms and breast ultrasound screening—to find any abnormalities with greater accuracy, shorter exam times and faster results.

Call 843-522-5015 to schedule your screening mammogram with same-day results. If your screening shows an abnormality, you may need additional diagnostic testing, including:

• Breast biopsy: A core biopsy is performed using a small guided needle to obtain tissue for diagnosis. Beaufort Memorial specializes in stereotactic biopsy, MRI-guided biopsy and ultrasound-guided biopsy—all offering faster and less invasive options compared with surgery, as well as highly accurate results. That means less stress for you.
• Breast MRI: This noninvasive test uses a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency and a computer to produce detailed images of the breast. MRI is a valuable supplemental tool to mammogram screenings to help clarify a breast cancer diagnosis, especially in women with dense breast tissue or at an elevated risk for the disease.
• Breast Ultrasound: Ultrasound is a painless, highly effective test to evaluate masses found on a screening mammogram or causes of new breast symptoms Because ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves—not radiation—it is commonly used in women younger than 30 years of age as the initial exam for breast symptoms.

Your dedicated breast nurse navigator can help coordinate any diagnostic testing you may need and answer any questions to help put you at ease.

Low-Dose CT: Catching Lung Cancer Earlier Than Ever

Beaufort Memorial is proud to offer low-dose CT scans, a groundbreaking new tool to detect lung cancer before symptoms show—greatly improving survival rates. Compared with traditional chest X-rays, this innovative screening is four times more likely to detect a mass. Low-dose CT is fast, safe and painless, and even covered by most insurance plans, so there’s no reason to put off this potentially life-saving test.

If you meet the screening guidelines, ask your doctor about the possible need for a low-dose CT lung cancer screening. A physician referral is required. To learn more and schedule an appointment call 843-522-5015.

Lab Tests

Cancer often produces what doctors call markers. These chemicals found in the blood give clues about whether cancer is present and what type it may be. Your doctor may take a sample of tissue from the areas of concern (called a biopsy) and send it to our fully accredited pathology lab to look for any cancer markers.