Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a very powerful imaging medical device. It allows the physician to detect cancer, heart disease and brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This new imaging technology merges PET and CT into one combined scanning system. The anatomical pictures produced by the CT scanner can be merged with the molecular images from PET.

What is PET?

Your physician has ordered a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan for you. PET images can provide information about many conditions affecting the heart, brain, and other organs, which will help your doctor plan appropriate treatment for you.

PET images are different than those images from more conventional radiology studies, such as X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound, or MRI. These routine radiology procedures show what the tissues look like by making pictures of the different organ structures.

PET images contain information about the body’s chemistry, cell function, and exact location of disease. The PET image represents unique information about the physiology of organ systems. PET scans combined with the standard radiology anatomy give your doctor more powerful information that can affect your care.

What are the advantages?

Research has shown that PET/CT can effectively pinpoint the source of many of the most common cancers. Whole-body PET inspects all organ systems of the body to search for the cancer in a single examination. If cancer has spread, PET will expose it. Follow-up scans will reveal if cancer has recurred.

Also, PET/CT can give physicians important early information about cardiac and neurological diseases, streamlining testing and decreasing the need for invasive biopsies. Because PET/CT scans provide images of the body’s chemistry, many diseases can be seen in their earliest stages.

PET/CT Benefits

• Earlier diagnosis
  
• Monitors effects of therapy
  
• Can eliminate invasive procedures
  
• Replaces multiple tests
  
• Serves as a pre-surgical assessment
  
• Reduces or eliminates unnecessary surgical or medical treatments
  
• Identifies distant tumors
  
• Can tell the difference between scar tissue and tumor recurrence

Can I Eat or Drink Before My Scan?

This will depend on the type of study, but typically, you will be asked not to eat any food or drink anything except water for at least six hours before your scan.

What Should I Do To Prepare

For your comfort and peace of mind, please be sure to:

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant,think that you might be pregnant or if you are a nursing mother
• Wear comfortable clothing in layers
• Tell your doctor and technologist that you are diabetic
• Wear your hearing aid, glasses anddentures to the PET center. However,leave other valuables at home
• Take any prescribed medications on the day of your test unless instructeddifferently by your doctor
• Do not eat for at least six hours beforeyour scan 
• Low carbohydrate meals consisting ofmeats, vegetables, cheese and eggs 24hours prior to exam. Reduce bread,pasta, rice and potatoes during this time
• No strenuous activities 24 hours prior tothe scan
• Drink 24-30 ounces of water two hours before exam
• Avoid gum, mints and all beveragesexcept water, for at least six hoursbefore your scan

The Procedure

You can expect to be in the PET center for two to three hours. The actual scan itself takes far less time. To begin the procedure, a small amount of radioactive glucose is injected into your blood stream through a small IV started by the technologist. There is no danger to you from this injection. Glucose (also known as sugar) is a common substance every cell in your body needs to function. The radiation exposure associated with PET is similar to a conventional CT scan.

After the injection, you will wait 60-90 minutes, while the injected glucose is distributed throughout your body. During this time, you will be asked to rest quietly and avoid significant movement or talking, which may alter the localization of the administered substance.Then, you will be asked to lie on the table that passes slowly through the scanner. The scanner resembles a CT scanner, but has a much larger opening. Some people fall asleep during the scan. The scan may take 30 to 45 minutes.

Usually, there are no restrictions on daily routine after the test, although you should drink plenty of fluids to flush the radioactive substance from your body.

How Will I feel afterward?

You will be able to do normal activities after your scan. There are no side-effects from the injected radioactive glucose.

New Technology

• PET/CT (in-house scanner at JCMC)
• Mobile PET/CT (IPMC and NCH)

For information please call (423) 431-5551