Diagnostic Oncology
Department of Lab Sciences
Our Laboratory Sciences Department provides high-accuracy investigations essential for cancer screening, diagnosis, staging, monitoring and treatment planning. It is divided into specialised sub-departments:
Biochemistry plays a key role in understanding tumour behaviour and patient fitness for treatment.
- Tumour Markers (AFP, CA-125, CA-19.9, CEA, PSA):
Help in early detection, assessing tumour burden, monitoring treatment response and detecting recurrence.
- Liver & Kidney Function Tests:
Essential for chemotherapy planning and evaluating tolerance for combined chemoradiation.
- Electrolytes:
Monitor metabolic balance, especially during intensive therapy.
- Lipid & Glucose Profile:
Important for metabolic assessment prior to systemic treatments and steroid-based therapy used with radiotherapy.
- CBC & ESR:
Detect anaemia, infections or systemic inflammation, crucial before starting radiation.
- Peripheral Smear:
Helps evaluate blood cell morphology for cancer-related abnormalities.
- Coagulation Profile:
Ensures safe biopsy procedures, surgical interventions and catheter insertions.
- Bone Marrow Study:
Helps diagnose haematological cancers and assess marrow reserve before therapy.
- Autoimmune Profiles & Immunoglobulin Levels:
Important when planning immunotherapy or radiation in patients with immune-related disorders.
- Allergy Profiles:
Useful before administering contrast agents or specific chemotherapy drugs.
- Culture & Sensitivity Tests:
Identify and treat infections quickly, keeping radiation and chemotherapy schedules uninterrupted.
- Blood/Urine/Stool Cultures & Serology:
Help detect systemic infections early in immunocompromised patients.
- Fungal Studies:
Critical for at-risk patients undergoing prolonged therapy.
- PCR-based Mutation Analysis:
Detects actionable mutations influencing treatment strategy.
- Oncogene Testing & Genetic Profiling:
Supports targeted therapies and helps determine radiation sensitivity.
- Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Monitoring:
Tracks therapy effectiveness, especially in haematological cancers.
- FNAC, Core Needle & Tru-Cut Biopsies:
Accurately determine tumour type and grade.
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC):
Provides receptor status and molecular markers that directly influence therapy plans
- Frozen Section Analysis:
Supports intra-operative decision-making during cancer surgery.
Radiology & Imaging
Our Radiology & Imaging Department is equipped with advanced, high-resolution technologies that play a critical role in early detection, tumour characterisation, staging, radiation planning and treatment monitoring. Each modality contributes unique clinical insights, ensuring accuracy and confidence at every step of the cancer care pathway.
Provides quick, high-clarity imaging for evaluating chest, bone and skeletal involvement. It helps detect lung lesions, bone metastases, and structural abnormalities with minimal radiation exposure.
A highly sensitive breast imaging tool that creates layer-by-layer breast images, improving detection of small, early-stage cancers that may be hidden in dense breast tissue. Essential for breast cancer screening, diagnosis and pre-surgical planning.
Offers real-time imaging for evaluating soft tissues, abdominal organs, breast lesions, pelvis, thyroid and vascular structures.
3D/4D imaging provides volumetric views that enhance tumour localisation and biopsy accuracy.
Frequently used for guided biopsies, treatment response monitoring and staging.
A cornerstone in oncology imaging that produces detailed cross-sectional images for tumour sizing, staging, and identifying lymph node or organ spread.
Critical for:
- Radiation therapy planning
- Biopsy guidance
- Surgical decision-making
- Monitoring progression or response to therapy
Offers superior soft tissue contrast without radiation exposure. MRI is invaluable for brain, spine, breast, pelvic, liver and musculoskeletal cancers.
Helps in:
- Tumour characterisation
- Assessing local spread
- Pre-operative planning
- High-precision radiotherapy contouring
Measures bone strength and mineral density. Important for cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy, steroid-based treatments or long-term chemotherapy, where bone health monitoring becomes essential. Also aids in identifying early osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Nuclear Medicine
Our Nuclear Medicine Department brings advanced functional imaging into cancer care, providing metabolic, molecular and physiological insights that go beyond conventional imaging. These scans help in early detection, accurate staging, treatment response assessment, recurrence monitoring and radiation therapy planning, ensuring precision-driven oncology management.
Combines metabolic PET imaging with anatomical CT details to detect cancers at an early stage.
Useful for:
FDG PET/CT plays a key role in radiation target delineation, ensuring precise dose delivery.
A highly sensitive scan specifically designed for prostate cancer.
Advantages:
The gold standard for neuroendocrine tumour detection.
Provides:
An advanced bone imaging technique superior to traditional bone scans.
Benefits include:
- Early identification of bone metastases
- High-resolution detection of skeletal involvement
- Essential for staging breast, prostate and lung cancers
- Helps guide treatment decisions such as radiotherapy, systemic therapy or surgery
A minimally invasive technique that identifies the first draining lymph node (sentinel node) from the tumour.
Used for:
- Accurate staging
- Avoiding unnecessary lymph node dissection
- Planning surgical and radiation fields with precision
Sentinel node mapping helps minimise complications like lymphedema and ensures tailored treatment planning.
These advanced scans are routinely used for:
- Selecting patients who may benefit from precision radiation therapy such as SBRT, SRT and SRS
- Accurate tumour targeting and dose distribution planning
- Detecting active disease for adaptive therapy modification
- Long-term surveillance to ensure durable control
NABH Accredited Hospital
