What’s the Difference Between a Prostate Exam and a Colonoscopy?
Daniel Chung, MD, a Mass General Brigham gastroenterologist, explains what to expect with each of these screenings, and when you should talk to your doctor about getting one.
Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic
The Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic provides patients with comprehensive cancer diagnosis in one location, bridging the gap between clinical care and research in cancer early detection.
Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic
Mass General Cancer Center
52 Second Avenue, Suite 1110
Waltham,
MA
02451
Phone: 781-487-6212
Explore the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic
What is the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic?
The Mass General Cancer Center established the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic as a multidisciplinary collaboration to bridge the gap between clinical care and research in cancer early detection. Most cancers are detected after people experience symptoms that cause them to seek medical evaluation. This often means that cancers are diagnosed when they are locally invasive or already metastatic, and no longer curable with surgery or radiation treatment. Detecting cancer at earlier stages when treatment is likely to work best gives patients the highest chance of survival.
By streamlining the care journey for patients, expediting access to a comprehensive network of experts, and developing new screening technologies, the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic seeks to improve early cancer detection and treatment, leading to increased cures for patients around the world.
When to Contact Us
Typically, the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic will see patients who fall into the following categories:
- People with a mass or other abnormal finding on a radiology or physical exam concerning for cancer
- People who are interested in undergoing MCD (Multi-Cancer Detection) blood tests or who have already received positive MCD test results
- People with a strong family history of cancer or a genetic predisposition to cancer
Patients and referring providers can request an appointment by calling Apryl Bilodeau, program manager for the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic, at 781-487-6212. Both in-person and virtual appointments are available.
What to Expect from a Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic Visit
The first visit at the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic will consist of a comprehensive consultation with either a physician Medical Oncologist or an Advanced Practice Provider (APP). The provider will review the patient’s medical history and family history of cancer based on the referral reason to assess the patient’s risk of developing cancer, and then recommend one or more screening exams or further testing as needed. Further testing may include:
- Mammogram
- CT scan
- PET-CT scan
- Colonoscopy or Endoscopy
- Gynecologic exam with PAP smear
- MCD blood test
- Biopsy
- Other emerging technologies for early detection
Screening for Individuals with Hereditary Cancer Predisposition
For patients and families with hereditary cancer predisposition, our Center for Cancer Risk Assessment provides comprehensive care, including screening prevention options, genetic testing, and education. Our programs within the center include:
- Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genetics Program
- Endocrine Tumor Genetics Program
- Familial Renal Cell Carcinoma and von Hippel-Lindau Disease Program
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics Program
- Hematologic Malignancy Genetics Program
- Lynch Syndrome Screening and Treatment Program
- Melanoma Genetics Program
- Neuro-Oncology Genetics Program
- Prostate Cancer Genetics Program
It’s important to ask family members for health history so that you can make informed decisions about screening and preventive options. Our team of genetic counselors will help you review patterns in the family history and determine how the information may affect your health risks and medical decisions.
What to Expect After a Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Visit
Depending on a patient’s consultation and test results, the clinic may refer them to an expert in our broad network of programs and specialties for further care and risk reduction. These include but are not limited to:
- Surgery
- Radiology
- Dermatology
- Genetic counseling
- Smoking cessation
- Healthy Lifestyle Program
- Nutrition
Improving Cancer Outcomes
As part of an academic medical center, Mass General Cancer Center invests in research and clinical trials to develop innovative approaches to cancer prevention and treatment and improve patient outcomes. Our collaborations with institutions like the Jameel Clinic at MIT, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, and Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention allow us to be at the forefront of emerging early detection technologies.
Predicting Future Lung Cancer Risk
A new AI tool, called Sybil, developed by researchers at Mass General Cancer Center and MIT, can detect early signs of lung cancer that doctors cannot see. Learn more from NBC News.
Video: Deep Learning Based Predictor of Future Lung Cancer Risk
Early Detection Clinical Trials:
- DNA Evaluation of Fragments for Early Interception - Lung Cancer Training Study (DELFI-L101 Study) (DELFI-L101) [NCT04825834]
- CASCADE-LUNG: Cancer Screening Assay Using DELFI; A Clinical Validation Study in Lung (DELFI-L201) [NCT05306288]
- Lung Cancer Risk and Early Detection in Firefighters [NCT04614129]
Our Publications:
- Sybil: A Validated Deep Learning Model to Predict Future Lung Cancer Risk From a Single Low-Dose Chest Computed Tomography
- Development of a workflow process mapping protocol to inform the implementation of regional patient navigation programs in breast oncology
- Passively scanned, single-fiber optical coherence tomography probes for gastrointestinal devices
- Natural Language Processing to Identify Abnormal Breast, Lung, and Cervical Cancer Screening Test Results from Unstructured Reports to Support Timely Follow-up
- Identifying colorectal cancer caused by biallelic MUTYH pathogenic variants using tumor mutational signatures
- Artificial intelligence for the prevention and clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma
- Age at Initiation of Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Colorectal Cancer Risk Among US Women
- Optimizing risk-based breast cancer screening policies with reinforcement learning
- Association Between Aspirin Use and Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Prospective Cohort Study
- Patient navigation to promote lung cancer screening in a community health center for people experiencing homelessness: Protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
- Screening Mammography Recovery After COVID-19 Pandemic Facility Closures: Associations of Facility Access and Racial and Ethnic Screening Disparities
- Duration and cost-effectiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in hepatitis C patients after viral eradication
- Multicancer Early Detection Technologies: A Review Informed by Past Cancer Screening Studies
- Magnetic Seeds: An Alternative to Wire Localization for Nonpalpable Breast Lesions
- Antibiotic Therapy and Risk of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A National Case-Control Study
- MCM3 is a novel proliferation marker associated with longer survival for patients with tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma
- Long-Term Statin Use, Total Cholesterol Level, and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility
- Feasibility and Safety of Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus in a Multi-Center Study
- Ovarian cancer population screening and mortality after long-term follow-up in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS): a randomised controlled trial
- Exploring alternative ovarian cancer biomarkers using innovative nanotechnology strategies
- Addressing cervical cancer screening disparities through advances in artificial intelligence and nanotechnologies for cellular profiling
- Point-of-care cervical cancer screening using deep learning-based microholography
- Integrating genomic features for non-invasive early lung cancer detection
- Deep Learning vs Traditional Breast Cancer Risk Models to Support Risk-Based Mammography Screening
- Multi-Institutional Validation of a Mammography-Based Breast Cancer Risk Model
- Reducing Barriers to Care in Screening Mammography Among Underserved Populations Through a Quality Improvement Approach
- United States lung cancer screening program websites: radiology representation, multimedia and multilingual content
- Exposure to natural vegetation in relation to mammographic density in a Massachusetts-based clinical cohort
- Trends in breast and prostate cancer screening and diagnostic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in central Massachusetts
- The trajectory of racial/ethnic disparities in the use of cancer screening before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A large U.S. academic center analysis
- Evaluation of existing patient educational materials and development of a brochure for women with dense breasts
- Height and Body Size in Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood and Breast Cancer Risk According to Molecular Subtype in the Nurses' Health Studies
- Surveillance Endoscopy in the Management of Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Syndrome
- Gastric cancer in Lynch syndrome is associated with underlying immune gastritis
FAQs
Answers to FAQs about our Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic, by the clinic's expert team of multidisciplinary specialists.
What are Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) tests?
MCD tests are a category of blood tests that can potentially detect or screen for multiple types of cancer in a single test.
Why are MCD tests being developed?
While we have effective screening tests for four cancers currently: colon, lung, breast and cervix, not everyone who should be screened is receiving screening. Importantly, there are many other types of cancer that have no current effective screening test. The MCD concept is exciting because of the potential to screen for multiple cancers with a single blood test. They are being developed now because technology platforms necessary to detect small fragments of DNA circulating in the blood has advanced to the point where even a very small dilute signal in the blood can be detected.
How does an MCD test work?
A blood sample is taken and tested for certain pieces of DNA or proteins from cancer cells. If these are found, it might mean that the person has cancer, and it might also show which organ the cancer started in.
What cancers does MCD test for?
MCD tests can potentially screen for any type of cancer.
How accurate are MCD tests?
The accuracy of MCD tests can vary depending on the cancer type and stage, as well as the type of MCD test used.
Who should be tested?
While we are still learning about what makes an ideal candidate for MCD testing, right now these tests are primarily being studied in people over the age of 50. They are also being studied in patients without a history of cancer. If you have personally had a history of cancer and are a cancer survivor, this test is likely not recommended for you at this time.
How does someone get an MCD test?
MCD tests are ordered by a provider. They are available either through participating in a research study or by paying out of pocket. Contact the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic to learn more.
How often should someone be tested?
It is not yet known how often a person should take an MCD test, although our clinic is invested in learning more along with others in the field all over the world.
Are MCD tests FDA approved?
At this time, none of the various MCD tests that are being developed are FDA cleared or approved.
Are MCD tests covered by insurance?
MCD tests are not currently covered by insurance.
What if I receive a positive test result?
If a patient receives a positive test result, the next steps will depend on the exact results of the test. Some MCD tests can even go so far as to show that a positive cancer signal was detected and then indicate the top two types of cancer that are most likely. Our team of experts will recommend additional testing as appropriate.
How do I make an appointment for MCD testing?
The Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic is led by Lecia Sequist, MD, MPH and Douglas Micalizzi, MD, PhD. Patients and referring providers can request an appointment by calling Apryl Bilodeau, program manager for the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic, at 781-487-6212.
Meet the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic’s Multidisciplinary Team
Our team of specialists include:
Lecia Sequist, MD, MPH
Program Director
Douglas Micalizzi, MD, PhD
Clinical Director
Timothy Ernst, MD
Medical Oncologist
Aparna Parikh, MD
Medical Oncologist
Michael Rainone, MBBCH
Medical Oncologist
Tara Soumerai, MD
Medical Oncologist
Erica Warner, ScD, MPH
Director of Epidemiology
Apryl Bilodeau
Program Manager
781-487-6212
Vincent Tabola
Patient Navigator
Kristin Anderson, RN
Nurse Navigator
Elizabeth (Tish) Conway, CNP
Emily Ranaghan, RN
Gosha Smas, CNP
Other team members include:
- Medical, Surgical and Radiation Oncologists
- Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)
- Primary Care Physicians
- Other Medical and Surgical Specialists
- Nurses
- Patient Navigators
- Genetic Counselors
- Cancer Epidemiologists
- Research Support Team
Patient Stories
of
Additional Resources
Fire Health Study
This partnership aims to increase lung cancer early detection access among firefighters.
MCED Consortium
Lecia Sequist, MD, MPH continues the mission through participation in the MCED Consortium.
Cancer Genetics
Learn more about care for patients and families with hereditary cancer predisposition.
Request an Appointment or Referral
Patients and referring providers can request an appointment with the Cancer Early Detection and Diagnostics Clinic team by phone.