What is PET?

PET is a powerful diagnostic test that is having a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Because disease is a biological process, and PET is a biological imaging examination, PET can detect and stage most cancers, often before they are evident through other tests. PET can also give physicians important early information about heart disease and many neurological disorders, like Alzheimer's.

The PET scan shows a chain of lymph node tumors in the neck, chest and abdomen. Why are these tumors so visible? The patient is injected with a glucose tracer. Although glucose is used by all cells, more glucose is used by cells with increased metabolism. Because cancer cells are highly metabolic and use more glucose than neighboring cells, they are easily seen on the PET scan.

For more information please see:

How PET works?

PET in cancer

PET in cardiology

PET and Brain Disorders

PET - Case Study

PET - Facts