PET i.e, Positron Emission Tomography is an imaging test that enables your primary physician to detect malignant cancer cells in your body. A special dye that contains radioactive tracers is injected into the bloodstream in this scanning procedure. These tracers are inserted into the body in multiple ways, for instance, it can be either swallowed, inhaled or injected into a vein in the arm depending on what part of the body is being scanned. These tracers are absorbed into specific organs and tissues and help your doctor find which organs and tissues are working.
The tissues of the body or certain diseases like cancer tend to have a higher chemical activity level. When the tracers are injected, it collects higher chemical activity and shows up as a bright spot on the PET scan. What PET scanning does is, it measures the oxygen usage, blood flow, how your body processes the sugar and much more.
Why is a PET scanning used?
Generally, doctors recommend a PET scan to inspect the metabolism of your organs and tissues. PET scanning enables to detect problems at the cellular level by giving the doctor an intricate picture of the complexities in diseases like cancer. Thus helping them draft more targeted therapies and reduce the side effects.
PET scanning and cancer
PET scan is most commonly used to detect cancer along with various applications in neurology, cardiology and more. It is found that cancer cells have a higher metabolic rate than non-cancerous cells and owing to this high level of chemical activity, cancer cells tend to show up as bright spots on PET scans. PET scanning is useful for detecting cancer and identifying if cancer has spread by far, or whether the treatment is working or finding out whether there is a cancer recurrence.
How is PET scanning different from CT scans and MRIs?
Most diseases, including cancer, begin at the cellular level, so metabolic changes in the cellular level must be identified early. This is exactly what PET scanning does, unlike CT scans and MRIs which do not reveal cellular level problems. Where PET scans detect any alteration in the very early stage, CT scans and MRIs detect only after the disease has completely altered your organs and tissues' structure.
At Cancer Clinics, we provide all kinds of scanning procedures, including PET screenings. We understand your needs and personalize all procedures and treatments according to your requirements. With state-of-the-art technology and professional health care providers, Cancer Clinics is your safe space and the next stop for treatment. We provide only the best and make recoveries easy, for you and your loved ones here, at Cancer Clinics!
