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Radiology
What is PET?
PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. It’s a procedure that adds an important new dimension to a physician’s ability to diagnose and manage disease. Instead of detecting changes in the physical size or structure of internal organs, as other imaging technologies do, PET detects changes in cellular function (how your cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen). Since these functional changes take place before physical changes occur, PET can provide information that enables your physician to make an earlier diagnosis. If diseases or abnormalities have already been detected by an imaging exam, such as a CT or MRI study, PET can often characterize the cellular function early in the course of the disease. These capabilities can translate into faster initiation of the best possible treatment while avoiding more invasive exams or exploratory surgery.Why do I need this exam?
Your PET exam results may have a
major impact on your physician’s diagnosis of a potential health
problem, and, should a disease be detected, how your return to health
is managed. A PET study not only helps your physician diagnose a
problem, it also helps your physician predict the likely outcome of
various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to
treatment, and monitor your progress. If you’re not responding as well
as expected, you can be switched to a more effective therapy
immediately. Just ask your physician what he or she hopes to learn from
your PET exam.What happens once I get there?
After reviewing your history and
any prior exam, you’ll receive a radiopharmaceutical injection. This is
a radioactive tracer that must pass multiple quality control measures
before it is used for any patient injection. For most studies, you’ll
have to wait for the radiopharmaceutical to distribute itself –
typically 30 minutes to an hour. You may be able to read, speak, or
listen to music until your scan begins – and perhaps during the scan
itself. However, if we’ll be scanning your brain, we will ask you to
wait in a quiet, dimly lit room, without stimulating your brain by
reading or talking. If you’re here for a heart study, you may not have
to wait. The radiopharmaceuticals used for cardiac exams are often
administered just before the scanning begins.What will the scan be like?
You’ll lie on a comfortable
table that moves slowly through the ring-like PET scanner as it
acquires the information needed to generate diagnostic images. We’ll
ask you to lie very still because movement can interfere with the
results. You shouldn’t feel a thing during the scan, which can last
anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes. Then, unless the physician sees a need
for acquiring additional information, you’re free to leave.How long does this take?
Your exam procedure will vary
depending on what we’re looking for, and what we discover along the
way. Plan to spend two to three hours with us.What happens after the exam?
You may leave as soon as the scan
is complete. Unless you’ve received special instructions, you’ll be
able to eat and drink immediately – drinking lots of fluids will help
remove any of the radio pharmaceutical that may still be in your
system. In the meantime, we’ll begin preparing the results for review
by our diagnosticians, and then by your physician, who will tell you
what we’ve learned.Are there risks associated with PET?
A PET study is similar to
many other diagnostic procedures, from CT and MRI to Nuclear Medicine.
Although the radiation you receive is different, it’s roughly
equivalent to what you’d receive from other diagnostic imaging exams
such as CT (a couple of chest X-rays). Radiopharmaceuticals used in PET
don’t remain in your system long, so there’s no reason to avoid
interacting with other people once you’ve left. To be extra safe, wait
for a few hours before getting too close to an infant, or anyone who’s
pregnant. Consult your physician with any additional questions or
concerns.
