| · | When is PET/CT appropriate? |
Positron Emission Tomography is a non-invasive diagnostic radiology procedure . Unlike X-ray, stand-alone CT or MRI, which show body structure, PET/CT allows physicians to detect an increase in the metabolic activity of tissue.
PET/CT is useful in the detection of:
| · | Lung cancer |
| · | Lymphoma |
| · | Melanoma |
| · | Colorectal Carcinoma |
| · | Breast Cancer |
| · | Esophageal Cancer |
| · | Brain Imaging |
| · | Brain Imaging/Alzheimer's Disease |
| · | Myocardial Viability |
| · | Head and Neck Cancer |
| · | Thyroid Cancer |
| · | Cervical |
| · | Cancer |
| · | What happens during your visit |
Upon arrival at Medical Imaging of Baltimore, a member of our staff will interview you. Following this, your blood glucose level will be tested. One drop of blood will be obtained using a small finger stick device. Shortly after, an IV will be placed and a small amount of FDG will be injected. For the next 45 minutes you will relax in a comfortable and quiet environment. This is the time in which your body is metabolizing the injected glucose. Next, you will be asked to empty your bladder prior to the start of the imaging procedure.The imaging procedure takes approximately 30 minutes.
Plan to spend up to 3 hours with us for the entire process.
| · | How safe is PET/CT? |
PET/CT is very safe. The radiopharmaceutical used in PET/CT scanning has a very short half-life (110 minutes). FDG has no side effects and will be excreted from the body in the urine. Greater than 90% of the radioactivity injected has either left the body or has decomposed prior to the completion of the study. Therefore, patients pose very little risk of exposing family members to unwanted radiation.
PET/CT scanning involves an IV injection of a small amount of a radioactive tracer called FDG. It is this radioactive glucose molecule that allows us to detect cancer cells at a very early stage in their development. Cells utilize glucose to live. Some cells metabolize glucose faster than others. Cancer cells are hyperactive cells, which rapidly metabolize large amounts of glucose. On a PET scan, cancer cells appear "hot" and are significantly more prominent. This is due to an increase of uptake of radioactive glucose (FDG).
| · | Patient Benefits |
| · | Earlier diagnosis, accurate staging and localization so that the most appropriate treatment plan can be implemented quickly. |
| · | Reduction in examination time. |
| · | Elimination of duplicate procedures and tests. |
| · | Potential reduction in invasive procedures such as biopsies and unnecessary surgeries. |
| · | Earlier detection of cancer recurrence. |
| · | Discovery of tumors that may otherwise be obscured by scarring from treatment. |
| · | Greater peace of mind knowing that the test provides comprehensive information. |
| · | The superior quality of the images gives physicians more confidence in their ability to monitor patient outcomes without performing additional costly procedures or invasive treatments. The scan can differentiate between malignant and benign lesions. |
| · | During therapy, the scan can evaluate a patient's progress. In some cases, the PET/CT has found cancer that would not have been detected through another imaging examination. For physicians, the combined image provides more data in less time and can lead to faster, more accurate diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring. |
| · | When the examination is complete, you are welcome to leave. You will be able to eat and drink immediately. |