Diagnosing Cancer

If you have a symptom or a screening test result that suggests cancer, your doctor must find out whether it is due to cancer or some other cause. This process of determining which disease or condition explains your signs and symptoms is referred to as the diagnostic process. Typically, a diagnosis involves multiple steps— an evaluation of your personal and family medical history, physical exam, and various diagnostic tests, including genomic testing to assess tumors. You may also need a biopsy, which is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer. Diagnostics are also often a part of the entire cancer journey.

At Arizona Oncology, we understand a cancer diagnosis can be stressful. We also understand that a thorough diagnosis is the first step toward creating a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan— and that’s what our experts plan to do through an integrated team-oriented approach. We are also eager to explain the facts and answer your questions at every step along the way. Our team of dedicated, highly-trained physicians and staff are committed to providing the highest quality compassionate cancer care to our patients.