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PET scan / PET-CT

Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging or a PET scan, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. It uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers, a special camera and a computer to help evaluate your organ and tissue functions. By identifying body changes at the cellular level, PET may detect the early onset of disease before it is evident on other imaging tests. A PET scan measures important body functions, such as blood flow, oxygen use and sugar (glucose) metabolism to help doctors evaluate how well organs and tissues are functioning.

Unlike other imaging techniques, nuclear medicine imaging exams focus on depicting physiologic processes within the body, such as rates of metabolism or levels of various other chemical activity instead of showing anatomy and structure. Areas of greater intensity, called “hot spots,” indicate where large amounts of the radiotracer have accumulated and where there is a high level of chemical or metabolic activity. Less intense areas or “cold spots” indicate a smaller concentration of radiotracer and less chemical activity.

Today, almost all PET scans are performed on instruments that are combined PET and CT scanners. The combined PET/CT scans provide images that pinpoint the anatomic location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. Thus, the co-registration of both scans (image fusion) has been shown to provide more accurate diagnoses than the two scans performed separately. PET/CT scans are generally performed to detect cancer or to determine whether and to which degree a cancer has spread in the body (so-called tumor staging).

In selected cases and if a PET-CT scan promises to deliver beneficial added-value, Intermed-Consult can provide a timely appointment via its cooperating partners.