Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an imaging tools that allow physicians to pinpoint the location of cancer within the body before making treatment recommendations.
The highly sensitive PET scan detects the metabolic signal of actively growing cancer cells in the body and the CT scan provides a detailed picture of the internal anatomy that reveals the location, size and shape of abnormal cancerous growths.
Alone, each imaging test has particular benefits and limitations but when the results of PET and CT scans are “fused” together, the combined image provides complete information on cancer location and metabolism.
The bottom line is that you can have both scans – PET and CT – done at the same time.
PET can help physicians effectively pinpoint the source of cancer. This is possible because many cancer cells are highly metabolic and therefore synthesize the radioactive glucose (sugar) that is injected in the patient prior to the exam. The areas of high glucose uptake are dramatically displayed in the scan imagery, as opposed to the anatomical imagery of CT or MRI, which cannot detect active, viable tumors.
If cancer is found early, it can often be cured. A PET scan can be used in early diagnosis, assisting physicians in determining the best method for treatment. A whole body PET scan may detect whether cancer is isolated to one specific area or has spread to other organs before a treatment path is determined.
PET is proving valuable for patients with these neurological disorders. CT and MR scans may render exquisite detail about the structure of the brain, but cannot determine anything about its function. With a single PET scan image, abnormalities of brain function can be found that would otherwise go undetected.
PET can determine if the cause is Alzheimer’s disease, blood flow shortages, depression, or some other reason.
PET can localize the brain site of seizure activity. This is especially important for children with uncontrollable seizures who are candidates for surgery as a cure.
PET can tell if that muscle tremor is Parkinson’s disease or another of the “movement” disorders.
PET can look at a brain tumor and reveal if it is benign or malignant. It is also widely used when recurrence is suspected to show whether structural change is tumor re-growth or merely scar tissue.
PET can “map” the areas of the brain responsible for movement, speech and other critical functions. This is a remarkable guide for surgeons who are performing delicate operations on different areas of the brain.
PET scans of the heart allow the study and quantification of various aspects of heart tissue function. Clinical studies show an important role for PET in diagnosing patients, describing disease and developing treatment strategy. Two areas of clinical application have emerged:
