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St George’s provides a full range of diagnostic services to support patients with suspected and diagnosed cancer. This includes tests and scans which are used to diagnose cancer and monitor patients during and after treatment.  

The range of imaging includes X-Rays, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Medicine imaging including PET-CT (positron emission tomography CT). Each test varies in whether radiation is being used. 

Depending on the type of suspected cancer and treatment you receive means you may have varied imaging tests at different times. Imaging will be discussed and explained to you by your team and what specific investigations may entail. You will receive any preparatory advice along with your imaging appointment information.  

Imaging can also be used when a biopsy is required. Varied cancer types may be amenable to using imaging while sampling and taking accurate biopsies. Information and preparation for image guided biopsies vary and this will be explained during your journey of diagnosis and treatment. Imaging techniques can now be used for treating specific cancer types, we have a range of image guided treatments as St George’s including treating some lung, liver and kidney cancers.

What do we offer

The radiology team comprises specialist diagnostic and interventional radiologists, expert radiographers and dedicated nursing staff to provide a fully comprehensive imaging service.

The main radiology department at St George’s delivers specialist imaging for almost all of the cancer services offered across the Trust and also those delivered at our community sites in Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, the Nelson Hospital and St John’s, providing the full range of diagnostic and interventional radiology for patients with possible cancer.

The neuroradiology department based in AMW manages the imaging service for patients with neurological malignancies and both the screening and symptomatic breast imaging services, are co-located in the Rose Centre on the St George’s Hospital and are also separately managed.

There is provision of an on-call radiology service which supports acutely unwell patients at St George’s and those attending via the emergency department.  The interventional radiology team covers the out-of-hours services not only for this Trust but also much of the region including referrals from Kingston and Epsom and St Helier Hospital.

Our nurse-led venous access service helps support cancer treatments by introducing central venous catheters used to administer intravenous chemotherapy agents.

St George’s radiology department has worked with clinical colleagues to ensure it has been at the vanguard of provision of more rapid diagnosis for patients with cancer and has recently implemented the rapid access prostate and the national optimal lung cancer pathways. The department is also at the forefront of sentinel node imaging for more accurate staging of some cancers including melanoma, breast and penile cancers.