A PET scan is a powerful diagnostic test that is having a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Because disease is a biological process, and a PET scan is a biological imaging examination, PET scans can detect and stage most cancers, often before they are evident through other tests. PET scans can also give physicians important early information about heart disease and many neurological disorders, like Alzheimer's.
A PET scan examines the body's chemistry. Most common medical tests, like CT and MR scans, only show details about the structure of the body. A PET scan is different as it provides information about function. With a single PET scan procedure, physicians can collect images of function throughout the entire body, uncovering abnormalities that might otherwise go undetected.
For example, a PET scan is the most accurate, non-invasive way to tell whether or not a tumor is benign or malignant, sparing patients the often painful diagnostic surgeries and suggesting treatment options earlier in the course of the disease. And although cancer spreads silently in the body, a PET scan can inspect most organs of the body for cancer in a single examination!
THE PATIENT BENEFITS OF A PET SCAN
- Whole-body cancer staging in a single PET scan exam
- Fewer repeated CT and MRI procedures with a PET scan
- Faster scan times with a PET scan, reducing patient discomfort
- Reduction in sampling errors of CT guided biopsies
- Accurate diagnosis of disease states with a PET scan
- PET scan improves accuracy in radiation therapy treatments
- PET scan provides cancer patients with hope and peace of mind
For more information about PET/CT scans check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.