Your doctor has just told you he thinks you might have a tumor.

The last thing you want to do is wait up to a week to take the test to confirm it.

That’s currently the scenario at Lawrence Memorial Hospital because the high-tech piece of equipment best for detecting certain types of cancerous tumors is a mobile unit that comes to town only once a week.

Hospital leaders and doctors with Lawrence-based Radiologic Professional Services, though, announced Wednesday that they are in early discussions to create a joint venture to build a new multimillion-dollar radiology center that would house one of the machines, which is called a PET CT scanner. The hope is that a new center ultimately would speed the diagnosis of many cancer cases.

“If a patient comes in and sees the oncologist on a Friday, they would have to wait until Thursday to have the test run,” said David Sostarich, director of radiology for LMH. “The tumor is probably not going to change much in a week, but your emotions sure would.”

Members of LMH’s board of trustees were told Wednesday that a report will be completed within the next month on the feasibility of a new radiology center, which is not a done deal because the cost is expected to be significant. LMH president and chief executive officer Gene Meyer said estimates are still being developed, but the machine itself is expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million.

Land and construction costs also could be significant. Karen Shumate, vice president of clinical services for the hospital, said the two sides are contemplating a 10,000-square-foot center that would be somewhere other than LMH’s main campus at Third and Maine streets.

The study also is trying to determine how much demand there is for the testing machine. The PET CT scanner technology is only about 2 years old, but projections in the industry call for usage to grow by about 20 percent per year.

“Part of what we’re trying to figure out is if we do build it, will they really come,” Shumate said.

Meyer said the project will get a thorough review.

“The biggest advantage this would provide us is the access and convenience it would provide to our patients,” Meyer said. “Americans like their health care convenient and accessible. We want it when we want it. That has become the expectation.”

Members of the radiology group – who currently provide all the analysis of X-rays and images taken at LMH – are enthusiastic about the possibility of a new center.

“We’re optimistic that this will come to fruition,” said Dr. Jim Mandigo, one of six doctors in the group.

Mandigo said he believed that without the new center, more area patients may be tempted to receive care in the Kansas City or Topeka markets, where the machines are more readily available.

If the project wins approval from the hospital’s board of directors, it likely would take at least 12 months to construct and open, Mandigo said.