PET/CT
Combines two advanced imaging technologies into one procedure.
PET/CT instructions and information can be found here:
- PET/CT Brochure
- Preparation for Patients Undergoing PET/CT Scans
- CT Scan Prep Form
- CT IV Contrast Prep Form
What is a PET/CT?
A PET/CT scan is a safe, painless, non-invasive procedure. It is the combination of both a PET scan and a CT scan. It is one continuous body scan in which the functions of a PET scan catch the small changes in the body’s metabolism due to the abnormal growth of cells. The CT function of the machine helps physicians find the exact size, location and shape of the tumor or disease in question.
By integrating the PET and CT technologies it makes it possible to get both the anatomical and biological data of the tumor in just one exam. This approach makes it easier to detect various cancers including breast, melanoma, lymphoma, lung and more. In addition, it simplifies the treatment plan including type of surgical procedure, response and effectiveness to treatments and the overall extent of the disease.
Why should I get a PET/CT?
There are many benefits of having a PET/CT including earlier detection of the cancer, followed by accurate staging and location of the tumor ending with detailed treatment and monitoring.
In the past, many complications arose from trying to interpret the PET and CT scans separately due to changes in the body between scans. Additionally, unnecessary procedures, misdiagnosis and longer treatment resulted with the separate scans. With the PET/CT, many of the past situations can now be avoided.
How does it work?
To begin the procedure, a small amount of radioactive glucose, “FTG,” is injected into your bloodstream. There is no danger to you from this injection. Glucose (also known as sugar) is a common substance every cell in your body needs in order to function. The PET/CT exposes you to a very low level of radiation.
After the injection, you will wait approximately an hour while the injection material is distributed throughout your body. Then you will be asked to lie on a table that passes slowly through the scanner.
When disease occurs, the biochemistry of your tissues and cells changes. In cancer, for example, cells begin to grow at a much faster rate and metabolize (break down) sugar at a higher rate than normal cells. If an area in an organ is cancerous, the signals will be stronger than in the normal surrounding tissue. A scanner records this data and transforms it into pictures. Abnormal cells or tissue will appear as bright spots. Normal, healthy organs and tissues will not have the bright glow that abnormal cells exhibit in a PET/CT scan.
History of PET/CT
Before the PET/CT, doctors would have to run both a PET and a CT scan and then attempt to match them in order to determine the approximate location and size of the tumor. They took the separate images and made their “best guess” as to gaining information about the tumor. Then, in 1992, engineer Ron Nutt and physicist David Townsend created the idea to combine the two machines into one.
Nutt and Townsend worked on this concept for three years before receiving any additional assistance until they received a grant from the National Cancer Institute. Their idea was that the machine should be more patient-friendly so they created the machines to be 28 inches in diameter for the tunnel. The machine was finally completed in 1998 and installed at the University of Pittsburg medical center.
PET/CT at Cancer Care Northwest
Cancer Care Northwest is home to a new GE Discovery STE PET/CT Scanner, the most advanced imaging technology available.
This sophisticated scanner not only produces pictures that show the location and nature of the tumor, but it also takes four-dimensional (4D) images that capture a tumor in motion. For example, a lung tumor moves as a patient is breathing. With this 4D information, the radiation team can precisely pinpoint a tumor’s location at any given moment, allowing your doctors to develop a more effective treatment plan.
Located at the Cancer Care Northwest Deaconess Office, our Discovery STE PET/CT scanner is the busiest PET/CT scanner in the Inland Northwest. It is housed in a healing environment that includes elements of nature such as sky, water and earth.