Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
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PET scans combine the principles of nuclear medicine with computer technology to find “hot spots” that can indicate areas of disease.
Like other nuclear medicine tests, PET uses a small amount of a radioactive substance to examine the structure of tissues and organs and their functioning.
Your PET scan will follow these steps:
- You’re given the radiotracer by mouth, injection or inhalation, depending on the test, and you’ll wait while the radiotracer accumulates in the area to be examined — usually about an hour.
- You lie on a narrow table that slides into the scanner, which is shaped like a short tunnel. It’s important to stay very still while the scanner detects signals from the tracer.
- A computer translates the signals into 3D images. A radiologist examines them and sends a report to your doctor.
PET scans are often used in conjunction with CT scans or other imaging tests to get more information about a specific organ or tissue area. When PET is combined with CT in one scan, it is known as PET/CT.
Doctors may recommend a PET scan to:
- Determine if cancer has spread or recurred, or to evaluate the progress of cancer treatments.
- Evaluate the brain after trauma.
- Diagnose dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.
- Diagnose neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy.
- Evaluate the blood flow in the heart.
- Evaluate brain tumors.
