Diagnosing and treating cancer, in its many forms, is one of the principal goals at GRMC. We understand the anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis and work to ease that anxiety by providing the most comprehensive care in our region.
The diagnostic tests available:
Biopsy – A biopsy is a sample of suspicious tissue taken from the body to examine more closely for potential disease. The sample is evaluated by a pathologist to determine whether it is malignant. This remains the principal means of diagnosing cancer and the procedure is crucial in guiding the next step to manage the disease. GRMC offers many different types of biopsies guided by sophisticated technology, including mammogram-guided biopsies, ultrasound-guided biopsies and Computerized Tomography [CT] guided biopsies.
Interventional Imaging – GRMC is equipped with an interventional imaging system. It is the first device of its kind to use a multi-axis platform to make large volume CT-like scans in a single 6-second sweep. This makes it easier to identify tumors.
Endoscopy – An endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure used to examine a person’s digestive tract. Using an endoscope, a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it, your doctor can view pictures of your digestive tract on a color TV monitor and identify polyps or cancerous growths which can then be biopsied.
Blood Tests – A variety of blood tests are available to identify tumor markers. Tumor markers are substances produced by various cancers.
CT scanning, MRI scanning, X-rays, ultrasound and other radiological techniques are used to identify possible malignancies and guide the course of a biopsy.
Positron emission tomography (PET) and other methods of nuclear medicine are employed to identify possible malignancies.
The treatments we offered:
Surgical Oncology – Whether a patient is a candidate for surgery or not depends on factors such as the type, size, location and stage of the tumor, as well as the patient’s age and physical fitness. GRMC emphasizes the use of minimally invasive surgery using image guidance, in combination with other advanced technology, to precisely target cancerous tumors. This reduces the damage to healthy cells. Most patients who undergo surgery are outpatients and require only a short hospital stay. Surgery is often used in combination with other treatments, like chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. These powerful medications circulate in the bloodstream and destroy cancer cells by stopping their ability to grow. Cancer cells generally grow and divide faster than normal cells, causing them to be more vulnerable to the action of these drugs. Chemotherapy causes side effects because damage to healthy cells is unavoidable. GRMC offers the newest medicines designed to attack cancer cells and leave normal cells alone.
Radiation Therapy – Radiation destroys cancer cells by destroying their DNA, the molecules inside cells that pass on genetic information from one generation to the next. Cancer cells whose DNA is destroyed cannot reproduce, therefore, stop dividing and die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and eliminated by the body’s natural processes. The radiation may be delivered by a machine or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy can also damage normal cells, leading to side effects. GRMC uses the highest quality radiation therapy on Guam through the True Beam linear accelerator, which targets malignant cells with pinpoint accuracy.
Radiation Oncology
GRMC’s Radiation Oncology department uses the latest technologies which enable our specialists to treat cancerous cells with pinpoint accuracy and minimal damage to healthy tissues. Radiation therapy can damage normal cells, leading to side effects.
“TrueBeam” linear accelerator: This technology provides GRMC with the highest quality radiation therapy on Guam. The “TrueBeam” linear accelerator targets cancer cells with exact precision, protecting healthy cells and allowing our patients to resume their normal, healthy lives sooner.
The conditions we treat at Radiation Oncology include:
