PET Scan

About PET Scan

A PET scan monitors the biochemical functioning of cells and produces images of the organs and tissues at work by detecting how well they process certain compounds administered via a radioactive tracer.

Diseased cells in the body absorb more of the radiotracer than healthy ones do. These are called “hot spots.” The PET scanner detects this radiation and produces images of the affected tissue.

PET can detect extremely small cancerous tumors, subtle changes of the brain and heart, and give doctors important early information about heart disease and many neurological disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease.

PET scan is a type of nuclear imaging. Nuclear medicine uses small and safe amounts of radioactive material, given through an IV.

Unlike other imaging techniques, PET scans focus on processes and molecular activity within your body. This allows for the potential to find disease in its earliest stages.

In general, PET scans my be used to evaluate organs and/or tissues for the presence of disease or other conditions. PET may also be used to evaluate the function of organs, such as the heart or brain. The most common use of PET is in the detection of cancer and the evaluation of cancer treatment.