PET-CT
Also known as: PET scan, FDG-PET
A combined scan that shows both the structure and the metabolic activity of tissues.
Definition
PET-CT combines two scans in one session: a CT scan shows detailed anatomy, while a positron emission tomography (PET) scan shows how metabolically active different tissues are. The patient is given a small amount of radioactive sugar (FDG); cancer cells, which use sugar at a higher rate, "light up" on the PET images.
PET-CT is widely used to stage cancers such as lymphoma, lung, head & neck and oesophageal, to look for metastases, to assess response after treatment, and to investigate suspected recurrence.
See also
- CT Scan — A detailed X-ray scan that builds cross-sectional images of the body.
- MRI — A scan that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of soft tissues.
- Staging — The process of finding out how large a cancer is and whether it has spread.
- Metastasis — Cancer that has spread from where it started to another part of the body.
- Recurrence — The return of cancer after a period of being undetectable.
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Medically reviewed by
Dr. Rehan Abdullah
Dr. Rehan Abdullah is a dual-trained clinical and radiation oncologist with over a decade of experience treating both solid tumours and hematologic malignancies. He serves as Consultant Oncologist at INMOL Hospital and sees patients at Farooq Hospital and Healthnox Medical Center, Lahore. Read full profile →
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