Dr. Jill's Women's I Group

The diagnostic journey in 2026 begins with advanced imaging to assess the primary tumor and screen for the 20% of patients who have metastatic disease at diagnosis (usually in the lungs).

Standard procedures include high-resolution MRI to define the extent of the tumor within the bone and nearby soft tissue, followed by a PET-CT or Bone Scan to check for spread. A definitive diagnosis is made via a core needle biopsy, which in 2026 is increasingly coupled with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). This molecular profiling helps identify specific biomarkers like HER2 or ALK fusions that may allow patients to qualify for targeted therapy clinical trials if standard treatments fail.