PET Scans Useful for Evaluating Some Types of Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer affecting the immune system. It is classified into Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These two types are further categorized into several subtypes. Doctors use PET scans many times in the treatment of lymphoma, starting with determining the stage at which the cancer is, monitoring treatment response and giving a prognosis. It is effective for some forms of lymphoma specifically Hodgkin lymphoma and a number of the common subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. PET scans remain an important part of a patient’s cancer journey and here is why: · The usual practice is to perform a scan before treatment begins so the doctors can find out the stage of the cancer. In some instances, the doctors may go straight to treatment and then conduct the scan afterwards for various reasons including scheduling issues or urgency of the treatment. · Once treatment begins, the doctors will perform another PET scan after three rounds of chemoth