Why a Precise Diagnosis is Vital to Treatment

BY MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER 

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, you may feel the need to rush into treatment. It is vital, however, to first make sure you have received a precise diagnosis. Our pathologists correct a new patient’s diagnosis from another institution up to 25% of the time, altering the course of treatment and outcomes. Here we hope to answer common questions to help you understand how a precise diagnosis and staging of your cancer can significantly impact your treatment plan and the outcome of your care. 

What Is a Precise Cancer Diagnosis?

A precise cancer diagnosis provides an accurate assessment of your tumor, including the cell type and stage, and helps oncologists determine the most appropriate plan for treatment.

If you have already been diagnosed by a physician, it is strongly recommended that you get a second opinion from a cancer specialist at a hospital that focuses on the disease, like MD Anderson Cancer Center.

MD Anderson’s pathologists specialize in diagnosing specific types of cancer, providing them with even more experience and the ability to identify distinct diseases. These include rare cancers that general pathologists may never encounter, precancerous conditions, and diseases that are often mistaken for cancer.

Second opinions also help reduce diagnostic errors that can delay treatment and seriously impact your prognosis. In fact, many health insurers require or recommend a second opinion before paying for specific procedures or treatments.

Every year, the Pathology Department at MD Anderson performs 40,000 initial biopsies and resections and 30,000 second-opinion reviews. Our pathologists correct a new patient’s initial diagnosis from another institution up to 25% of the time.

“The correct pathologic diagnosis and stage of each tumor are key to high-quality care for patients,” said Lavinia Middleton, M.D., professor of pathology at MD Anderson. “The stage and anatomical extent of the tumor will guide surgical, radiation and medical oncologists on how to approach treatment. It can determine if that patient will undergo chemotherapy first, or surgery.”

What Are the Latest Diagnostic Methods?

Depending on your unique case, including the type of cancer suspected, your health care team might use the following diagnostic methods:

• Biopsy: A biopsy is a medical procedure to sample and examine a tissue sample for cancerous cells.
• Endoscopy: Different types of endoscopies study different parts of the body. To perform an endoscopy, a physician inserts a tube with a tiny camera into the body cavity or organ to evaluate a suspicious area.
• Diagnostic imaging: Diagnostic imaging allows doctors to take internal pictures of the body and its structures. MD Anderson’s world-renowned pathologists collaborate with physicians to refine or change diagnoses after imaging, which helps physicians determine the best treatment plan for you.
• Blood tests: blood tests can be inconclusive and therefore are often used in conjunction with other diagnostic methods. They are helpful in determining whether tumor markers – substances released by tumors – are present in the body.
• Genetic testing: Though most cancer cases are not related to genetics, genetic testing is available for individuals who are at risk of developing certain cancers because of family history.

What Is Cancer Staging?

The stage of your cancer signifies the extent of the disease and is based on the tumor’s location, size, grade and involvement on nearby lymph nodes. It is essential for your doctor to identify the correct stage to not only determine your eligibility for a clinical trial, but also for prognosis and treatment. Pathologists at MD Anderson correct a new patient’s cancer staging from another institution up to 25% of the time. This can fundamentally change that patient’s course of treatment.

Many hospitals use the TNM system to identify a cancer stage:

• T: The size and scope of the main tumor, often called the primary tumor
• N: The number of neighboring cancerous lymph nodes
• M: Whether the cancer has metastasized (spread from the primary tumor to other parts of the body)

The TNM system is often broken down into five stages:

• Stage 0: Abnormal cells are present but have not spread to nearby tissue.
• Stages I, II and III: Cancer is present. The higher the number, the larger the tumor and the more it has spread to nearby tissues.
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to another part of the body.

Though treatment might reduce or eliminate the cancer, your stage will not change from the initial diagnosis.

Becoming a Patient at MD Anderson

MD Anderson uses advanced diagnostic technology and has extensive expertise in managing every type of cancer. If you have already received a diagnosis from another institution, you can always enlist our trusted second-opinion pathology services. Second opinions can help clarify the details about the cancer’s type and stage, confirm the diagnosis and refine the best treatment plan.

Advancements in cancer care treatments are happening all the time. Where you begin your journey toward fighting cancer can make all the difference.