Screening & Diagnosis

We make it easier for people living in San Antonio and the surrounding communities to get the answers they need close to home. Our cancer team includes many national leaders in cancer care. You can trust our experts to provide a diagnosis quickly. 

Cancer prevention strategies offer an ongoing layer of protection while screening options enable us to detect — and potentially treat — symptoms before they ever become cancer. If you are diagnosed with cancer, we use advanced tests and therapies to personalize your care and help you reclaim your health.

Why choose us for cancer prevention and screenings?

Highlights of our program include:

• Convenience: We offer a full spectrum of cancer diagnosis services in one location, right here in San Antonio. Many of our cancer prevention services and screenings are available in your primary care physician’s office. Sometimes we can also schedule multiple diagnostic tests in one day so you can start treatment faster.
• Early detection: Screening tests help us detect the first signs of some cancers — often before people notice any symptoms. We have multiple programs focused on identifying cancer in people at highest risk for the disease.
• Genetic testing and analysis: We perform specialized pathology and genetic tests on site. Our team includes world-renowned experts with an exceptional understanding of cancer genes. With this information, we can fine tune a diagnosis quickly and recommend treatments that are more likely to be effective for you.
• Industry-leading treatment: After a diagnosis, you can continue care at Mays Cancer Center. We offer advanced treatments for cancer such as immunotherapy and targeted radiation to treat all cancer types with precision — often before cancer shows up on scans or other imaging. Our surgeons are nationally known for their expertise in safely removing complex tumors.
• Leading cancer expertise: All our doctors have fellowship training and significant experience that enables them to diagnose cancers that other doctors rarely see. At our center, each doctor only treats certain types of cancer. This specialization increases their level of diagnostic precision and expertise.
• Sophisticated diagnostic tests: Our doctors use the latest tests and techniques to ensure a precise diagnosis. The Advanced Interventional Gastroenterology (AIG) Clinic at Mays Cancer Center provides minimally invasive endoscopy to help diagnose many GI and liver cancers. We also offer liquid biopsies (a new kind of blood test) that can tell your doctor if you have an early form of lung cancer.
• Support: The cancer diagnosis process can be scary. We will be there to support you with details on personalized screening and diagnostic tests. If you are diagnosed with cancer, we’ll support you through each step and provide detailed information to help you feel prepared.

Our cancer prevention services

These services may lower your risk of receiving a cancer diagnosis:

• Genetic testing: We identify abnormal gene changes (mutations) that are passed down in families. These mutations could increase your cancer risk. We provide personalized recommendations to help manage this risk. Find out more about genetic testing.
• Hepatitis B vaccine: Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that can lead to liver cancer. Getting the vaccine protects you against hepatitis B and may slow the spread of this disease in our community. Learn more about hepatitis and cancer.
• Hepatitis C screening: This blood test detects signs of another infection that can lead to liver cancer and might not cause symptoms. If you test positive, treating hepatitis C may decrease your risk.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: HPV is a virus that increases the risk of several types of cancer, including cervical cancer and throat cancer. The HPV vaccination requires a series of shots that offer lifelong protection against HPV.
• Tobacco cessation: If you use tobacco, quitting lowers your risk of many types of cancer, including lung cancer. We offer a broad range of services to help you stop for good. Find out more about the tobacco cessation program available through UT Health San Antonio.

Our cancer screening services

Cancer screenings are tests that check for the early signs of cancer, often before you may notice symptoms. Services we offer include:

• Colonoscopy, which detects signs of colon or rectal cancer
• Lung cancer screening for people with a history of tobacco use
• Mammogram to check for breast cancer
• Pap smear, which can detect signs of cervical cancer in women
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for men at risk for prostate cancer
• Skin cancer screening to check for early changes in the skin

How is cancer diagnosed?

Doctors can diagnose cancer in many ways. Often, doctors notice the first signs of cancer (such as a lump) during a physical exam. Because not all cancers show obvious symptoms, our doctors sometimes detect cancer unexpectedly on an imaging test for a separate medical issue. 

You can trust our team to provide the answers you need in the least invasive way possible.

Our cancer testing services

Because some cancers run in families, your doctor may ask about your family history to learn more about your overall cancer risk. Our renowned genetic experts can advise you. Learn more about our cancer genetics and high-risk screening clinic.

Your doctor may recommend one or more tests to learn more about a problem, based on your symptoms and circumstances. 

Common tests we use to diagnose cancer include:

• Advanced imaging tests (like CT, MRI and PET scans) use sophisticated technologies to help doctors see inside your body without a single incision. Your doctor may use one or more imaging tests to confirm a tumor’s location and whether cancer has spread.
• Blood and urine tests measure certain substances that could indicate cancer or another health problem.
• Cancer tumor tests analyze cancer tissue in different ways. For example, these tests offer important details about a cancer’s genetic and molecular makeup, which tell us how cancer might act or the threat it poses to your health. Our experts use this information to pinpoint diagnosis and guide your treatment.
• Image-guided biopsies: Our doctors perform specialized biopsies using advanced imaging to guide their movements. For example, ultrasound and MRI technology help our urologic doctors better target tissue so they can make a precise prostate cancer diagnosis. And endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration helps doctors diagnose and stage GI cancers.
• Liquid biopsies are specialized blood tests that look for genetic changes that identify possible cancer. They can help spot types of cancer for which it is difficult to safely get a tissue biopsy, such as lung cancer.
• Tissue sample (biopsy) can confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis. During this procedure, a doctor carefully removes a sample of tissue from the area in question. Specialists (called pathologists) then examine the tissue under a microscope, looking for unique patterns of cancer cells.

Cancer staging and what comes next

If you have cancer, your doctor may recommend additional tests to learn more about a disease or how it affects your health. Doctors call this staging.

In general, lower numbers (stage 1 cancer) refer to disease found in early stages. Higher numbers (stage 4 cancer) describe more advanced disease. A cancer stage does not dictate your future. Our cancer doctors use these details when they’re deciding which treatments are most likely to offer you successful results. 

Everyone reacts to a cancer diagnosis differently. We’re here for you. Soon after a cancer diagnosis, a member of your care team will sit down with you to help you understand more about your specific condition. We’ll explain all your treatment options and what you can expect in the coming days and weeks. 

Learn more about cancer treatments.