What will pet scan show

PET scans detect areas of activity like cell growth in the body. More radioactive material collects in cancer cells than normal cells and will appear brighter on the image. Not all cancers show up on a PET scan.

PET scan results are often used with other imaging and lab test results. Other tests are often needed to find out whether an area that collected a lot of radioactive material is non-cancerous benign or cancerous malignant.

Recent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and some medicines may affect the test results. Preparing children before a test or procedure can help lower their anxiety, increase their cooperation and develop their coping skills. This includes explaining to children what will happen during the test, such as what they will see, feel and hear. Preparing a child for a PET scan depends on the age and experience of the child.

Find out more about helping your child cope with tests and treatments. Positron emission tomography PET scan. Why a PET scan is done. A PET scan may be done to: help diagnose certain cancers see how far the cancer has spread staging find out if cancer treatment is working or as part of follow-up check if cancer has come back recurred after treatment or spread to other parts of the body help diagnose non-cancerous conditions Combined PET-CT scanning joins a PET scan and a computed tomography CT scan into one test.

Getting ready for a PET scan. Before the scan, you may be told to: not eat or drink anything for 4 to 6 hours avoid tobacco, caffeine, alcohol or vigorous exercise for 24 hours You may be told to not wear clothes with metal zippers, belts or buttons on the day of the scan. How a PET scan is done. The scans can also evaluate the occurrence of colorectal, lymphoma, melanoma, and pancreatic tumors. They are also used to assess if treatment is being effective in eliminating cancer.

Heart Disease — PET scans can help your doctor assess the severity of your coronary heart disease and help your doctor determine if you require surgery. The scan can also reveal damage in the body after a heart attack, particularly if it has to do with weak blood flow in the heart. PET Scans in Florida The experts at Independent Imaging offer a variety of imaging tests that all types of doctors can use to make accurate and early diagnoses. Patient Education Want to know more about your test and what we are looking for?

Find your condition or procedure in our online library. All Rights Reserved. Independent Imaging offers the most advanced and sophisticated imaging technology available. PET scans may be useful in:. PET scans must be interpreted carefully because noncancerous conditions can look like cancer, and some cancers do not appear on PET scans.

This PET image shows an area of reduced blood flow from one of the arteries that feeds the heart. This information may help doctors decide whether to suggest bypass surgery or angioplasty to restore that blood flow. PET scans can reveal areas of decreased blood flow in the heart. This information can help you and your doctor decide, for example, whether you might benefit from a procedure to open clogged heart arteries angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery. A PET scan can compare a normal brain left with one affected by Alzheimer's disease right.

The loss of red color with an increase in yellow, blue and green colors shows areas of decreased metabolic activity in the brain due to Alzheimer's disease. PET scans can be used to evaluate certain brain disorders, such as tumors, Alzheimer's disease and seizures.

For your PET scan, a radioactive drug tracer will be injected into a vein. Because the amount of radiation you're exposed to in the tracer is small, the risk of negative effects from the radiation is low. But the tracer might:. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of a PET scan. Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on how to prepare for your scan. A general rule is to avoid strenuous exercise for a couple of days before the study and to stop eating four hours before the scan.

From start to finish, the procedure takes about two hours to complete and typically does not require an overnight hospital stay. When you arrive for your scan, you may be asked to:. A member of your health care team injects the radioactive drug tracer into a vein in your arm or hand. A PET scan can show how well certain parts of your body are working, rather than simply showing what they look like. PET scans are particularly helpful for investigating confirmed cases of cancer to determine how far the cancer has spread and how well it's responding to treatment.

PET scans are sometimes used to help plan operations, such as a coronary artery bypass graft or brain surgery for epilepsy. They can also help diagnose some conditions that affect the normal workings of the brain, such as dementia. PET scanners work by detecting the radiation given off by a substance injected into your arm called a radiotracer as it collects in different parts of your body. In most PET scans a radiotracer called fluorodeoxyglucose FDG is used, which is similar to naturally occurring glucose a type of sugar so your body treats it in a similar way.

By analysing the areas where the radiotracer does and does not build up, it's possible to work out how certain body functions are working. For example, using FDG in the body's tissues can help identify cancerous cells because they use glucose at a much faster rate than normal cells.

PET scans are usually carried out on an outpatient basis. This means you won't need to stay in hospital overnight.