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Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
What is PET/CT?
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a camera that produces powerful images of the human body and allows the
physician to see what is happening inside your body. PET/CT is a non-invasive procedure that provides unique
information about the body's metabolism, cell function, and exact location of a disease - information not
available through CT or MRI alone.
Research has shown that PET/CT can effectively pinpoint the source of many of the most common cancers.
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 are pictures of the body's chemistry,
many diseases can be seen in their earliest stages.
The GE Discovery VCT installed by Mid-Michigan MRI, Inc. at Sparrow Hospital is the most advanced PET/CT
system currently available for clinical use. This system provides high resolution and high-speed PET detector
technology with a 64-slice CT unit.
PET/CT Facts:
- Safe
- One image shows all body organ systems
- Earlier diagnosis of disease
- Shows how the body responds to treatment
- Reduces or eliminates unnecessary surgical or medical treatments and/or hospitalization.
- Reduces mulitiple medical costs, avoids needless pain to the patient.
PET/CT Benefits:
- Earlier diagnosis
- Monitoring effects of therapy
- Elimination of invasive procedures
- Replacement of multiple tests
- Pre-surgical assessment
- Identification of distant tumors
- Can tell the difference between scar tissue and tumor recurrence
Important patient questions PET/CT might answer:
- Where is the tumor?
- Is it benign or malignant?
- Is my treatment working?
- Has the cancer spread?
Download the Patient Guide to PET/CT Scans (Adobe PDF document)
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