PET and PET CT Scans

PET scan, or Positron Emission Tomography, is a powerful tool for detecting several types of cancer.  It is useful for the accurate detection of cancer spread in patients with an established diagnosis of cancer, or for the noninvasive evaluation of nodules detected by chest x-ray or CT.  PET works by having the ability to detect sites of high metabolic activity.  Since many cancers have significantly higher metabolism than normal tissues or noncancerous masses, PET allows sensitive detection of even small cancers. 

PET-CT Fusion is a newer refinement of the technique that allows the most accurate correlation of anatomic information (from the CT) and metabolic information (from the PET scan) and helps to ensure the highest degree of accuracy for the exam.

PET and PET-CT Fusion are performed by SDI radiologists at St. Joseph's Diagnostic Center (main campus).

For more information about PET, see PETscan.org