How PET-CT Scans Help to Identify Cancer Fast
Positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) are two powerful technologies that provide advanced information about a patient’s cancer, its location, anatomy, and activity within the body. Using PET-CT helps to target radiation to a precise cancer location without causing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. It also improves the accuracy of a patient’s diagnosis. PET uses radioactive glucose known as Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) that is attached to fluorine-18. When cells absorb the glucose, the fluorine-18 breaks down and releases positrons and gamma rays. Since cancer cells are very active, they grow and multiply fast, taking in more sugar and emitting more gamma rays and positrons. That is why they glow brighter on PET-CT scans. Here is how PET-CT helps in cancer detection : · PET-CT detects cancers such as breast cancer, lymphoma, and lung cancer easily. · ...