What is a PET/CT Scan?
A PET/CT scan helps your physician diagnose a problem, determine the best approach to treatment or monitor your progress in a non-invasive way.
PET/CT is the most advanced medical imaging technique available today, combining Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with Computed Tomography (CT).
PET/CT's combination of the fine structural detail of CT with PET's ability to detect changes in cell function identifies both the presence of disease and its precise location in one scan. This combination allows for earlier and more accurate detection of disease than either CT or PET alone.
How do PET/CT Scans Work?
Cancer cells grow at a very fast rate.
Growing cells use glucose as a primary source of energy. The faster cells grow, the more glucose is consumed.
A form of glucose called FDG, which emits particles called positrons, is injected into the patient.
The FDG molecules are consumed more in fast-growing cancer cells than in normal cells, resulting in concentrations of FDG and positrons in areas of cancer.
The PET/CT scanner detects where positrons are being emitted from within a patient and provide images that map the locations.
