Cancer Care
When you’re facing something as serious as cancer, you want experienced staff and advanced technology fighting with you. Fortunately, both are available at Northwest Health. We offer a range of services for cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Early Detection & Diagnosis
Discovering cancer at the earliest stages offers the best opportunity for successful treatment. Northwest Health is committed to promoting early detection through screenings and diagnostic services. Whether it’s offering screening exams or holding education events in the community, an important part of our care focuses on prevention and education.
Among the advanced diagnostic technologies provided are:
- Advanced imaging technology – Computerized tomography (CT or CAT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound imaging (or sonography) and other advanced imaging technologies provide a detailed picture of internal organs and tissues to detect cancer. Visit this page to learn more about lung cancer screenings (low-dose lung CT scanning).
- Breast cancer detection – Northwest Health offers sophisticated breast imaging technologies, such as digital mammography, which can play an important role in early detection of breast cancer. The Northwest Breast Imaging Center at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital was the first in Northwest Arkansas to offer breast tomosynthesis, also called 3D mammography, to detect breast cancer. Learn more about breast care here.
- Biopsy – Biopsies determine whether cells are cancerous and, if so, determine the type and stage of cancer. Advanced imaging technology — such as MRI, CT and ultrasound — are often combined with minimally invasive techniques to obtain tissue samples.
Screening Tests
You should talk with your doctor about when and how often you should be screened for various types of cancer. Depending on your personal health history, family health history or screening results, a physician may recommend a screening schedule that is different than the general guidelines.
A screening exam means that you are checking your body for cancer before you have any symptoms. Getting screening tests regularly may find breast, cervical and colorectal (colon) cancers in their earliest stages, when it’s easier to cure. Lung cancer screening is recommended for some people who are at high risk.
Breast Cancer
Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. According to the American Cancer Society, women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they wish to do so. The pros and cons of screening should be considered when making this decision. Starting at age 45, women should get mammograms every year.
If you are at higher than average risk for breast cancer, talk to a health care provider about when you need to start getting mammograms and whether you need to get other tests along with your mammograms. It's also very important to know how your breasts normally look and feel and to report any changes to a health care provider right away.
Cervical Cancer
The Pap test can find abnormal cells in the cervix, which may turn into cancer, while the HPV test looks for the virus (human papillomavirus) that can cause these cell changes. Pap tests also can find cervical cancer early, when the chance of being cured is very high.
Women should get a Pap test and an HPV test done every 5 years (preferred approach) or get just a Pap test every 3 years, according to the American Cancer Society. Women with a history of a serious cervical pre-cancer should continue testing for 20 years after that diagnosis.
Did you know that the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program offers free or low-cost mammograms and Pap tests nationwide? Find out if you qualify.
Colorectal (Colon) Cancer
Since colorectal cancer almost always develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon or rectum, it is the only cancer that can actually be prevented during a screening. That’s because screening tests can find these polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening tests also can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best.
People at average risk should start testing at age 45, according to the American Cancer Society. While there are several types of tests that can be used to screen for colorectal cancer, a colonoscopy is considered the gold standard, since pre-cancerous polyps can be found and removed.
Lung Cancer
For people between the ages of 55 and 80, who have a history of heavy smoking, smoke currently or have quit within the past 15 years, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).
If you have a smoking history, the American Cancer Society advises you to talk with a health care provider about it and whether you should get an annual low-dose CT scan to screen for early lung cancer. Screening may benefit you if you are an active or former smoker (quit within the past 15 years), have no signs of lung cancer and have a 30 pack-year smoking history (A pack-year is 1 pack of cigarettes per day per year. One pack per day for 30 years or 2 packs per day for 15 years would both be 30 pack-years.). You should discuss the benefits, limitations and risks of screening with a health care provider before testing is done. Visit this page for more information on Northwest Health’s low-dose lung CT scans.
Cancer Surgery
Surgery is often an effective treatment option for people diagnosed with cancer. Surgery used alone or in combination with other treatments may also be part of the treatment plan. If your cancer treatment requires surgery, the surgeons at Northwest Health are trained in treating the most common forms of the disease and can perform all but the most unusual cancer surgeries.
Many of the procedures can be performed using minimally invasive techniques in our specially equipped operating rooms. We also have advanced robotic-assisted surgical systems, which may offer patients less scarring and a faster recovery.
Our surgical team includes the following specialties:
- Anesthesiology
- Colon & rectal surgery
- Dermatology
- Gastroenterology
- General surgery
- Gynecology
- Gynecologic oncology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Otolaryngology
- Plastic & reconstructive surgery
- Pulmonology
- Thoracic surgery
- Urology