PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

Your Florida Cancer Affiliates physician may include PET and CT scans in your cancer care plan, as these tests can greatly improve our ability to evaluate and treat your disease. The PET and CT scan brings two powerful imaging techniques and combines them into one of the most advanced medical imaging tools available.  It answers questions such as: where is the tumor, how big is it, is it malignant, benign or due to inflammatory change, and has it spread?

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) shows a body’s metabolic activity, while Computed Tomography (CT) shows anatomy.  When fused together, the information from these two scans can be used with a high degree of confidence to detect, localize and assess the exact stage for a variety of cancers. 

The scan reveals your body’s metabolic pattern, including both normal and abnormal tissue activity, such as a tumor. At the same time, the CT scan reveals the detailed anatomy of the area where the normal and abnormal activity is taking place. The improved images reduce the number of invasive procedures required during diagnosis and follow up care for most patients.

A PET scan alone is very helpful in showing the presence or spread of many malignant tumors.  When it is combined with a CT scan in the same session, our physicians are able to pinpoint the exact location of a tumor, more accurately assess the stage of the disease and follow the progress of each patient’s treatments.