PET / CT of Las Colinas

PET (positron emission tomography) scans help to deliver clear images of the biological functions of the body. They help to detect disease quicker compared to other imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. A PET scan is a highly technological nuclear procedure that is very safe with no known potential side effects. The risks for this procedure apply only to a few cases. The procedure requires the patient to be injected with a radioactive tracer, which is compounded with low dose radioisotope and sugar.   The radioactive compound travels to the location being imaged while the patient rests still on the scanner for about 40 to 45 minutes. Once it reaches the cancer location, the tracer will emit signals, which will be translated into images by a computer. During cancer diagnosis, doctors want to look at all angles of the disease, including the possible causes and consequences. PET can be combined with other imaging tech...

A positron emission tomography scan is often used to help doctors diagnose, monitor, and treat several cancers, including lung, lymphomas, and head and neck cancer. They also help them find tumor locations and determine if treatment is working for patients. A PET scanner uses a radioactive tracer to show the abnormal (cancerous) cells in the body. Doctors can examine every part of a patient's body and identify cancer. Known as Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the radioactive tracer is often attached to fluorine-18. When the glucose is absorbed by body cells, the fluorine-18 will break down and release gamma rays and positrons. Cancer cells are always aggressive, and they grow and multiply fast as they take in more sugar. On PET scans, cancerous cells will glow brighter. Here is why PET scans are conducted: ·          Sometimes doctors perform PET scans on neurology and cardiology patients. ·       ...

Breast cancer is a huge problem in the health sector. Technology has not solved this problem. Annual screening and self-examination are the best methods to detect cancer early. Cancer screening has become a hot topic and is sometimes controversial, but what remains is that early diagnosis and treatment is beneficial to the patient. So why do false positives occur? This is a question many ask, especially since we live in the age of technology. This is because the technology used in screening is out of date. Mammograms pick up both benign and malignant tumors, it is up to the doctor to figure out which is which. While a PET scan is more detailed in the images it produces thus offering better clarity on whether the tumor is malignant or not. Most women start screening for breast cancer at the age 40 . Of these women, most are at the risk of developing breast cancer. These chances are increased if they are screened later on after 40. Biopsies remain the best way to tell ...

A ratio of the sinus scores can be calculated based on CT imaging to help predict the recurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps accurately.   According to new findings; ·          CRS with nasal polyps will always recur even after sinus surgery. The recurrence rate is at 21% within 8 years. The tissue eosinophil counts and proportions, and the presence of eosinophilicmucin have already been used as recurrence markers but the tests are often invasive or require surgery. Investigators suggest that CT scans have the potential to predict the CRS recurrence with nasal polyps. ·          The current study is investigating the importance of CT scans in predicting recurrence in CRS with nasal polyps patients who are to undergo the endoscopic functional sinus surgery. The patients already took a CT scan before surgery. ·          Two ...

New research has found that measuring glucose PET scans are better indicators of the advancement of Alzheimer's disease compared to amyloid PET scans. A medical trial targeting beta-amyloid plaque was carried out. It indicates that toxic proteins and shortage of glucose in the brain as people get old can lead to Alzheimer's disease. The research carried out in Perelman School of Medicine in the University of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University shows that FDG-PET makes a better diagnosis on the progress of Alzheimer's disease and MCI compared to florbetapir-PET scans which measure amyloid levels. The FDG PET scan checks the brain's glucose intake and its effect on neurons, thus providing the doctor with a better understanding of Alzheimer treatments work. FDG-PET and florbetapir-PET scans are recommendable diagnosis methods for Alzheimer’s disease. They also appear to show a form of cognitive impairment. However, studies reveal that FDG-PET is much p...

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that damages the central nervous system, thus disrupting communication between the brain and spinal cord. A radiotracer called [F-18] PBR06 can detect changes in brain matter through positron emission tomography (PET). [F-18]PBR06 has the potential to detect the disease before patients show any symptoms giving doctors the ability to treat the condition. MS progression’s identity procedures ·          Some patients may show signs of the disorder, though in most cases, the doctors will suspect the presence of the disease and order for tests. [F-18] PBR06 is used to image the patient and give insights into neurodegeneration and inflammations. MS progression will interfere with the signal connecting white matter of the brain. The disability is caused by differences in grey matter, specifically through activation of microglia. Microglia is the central nervous system's immune cells. ·   ...

PET-CT scanning is the gold standard for imaging in cancer . It is used for detecting and monitoring all types of cancer. PET-CT technology has improved with time and now offers plenty of benefits in oncology. Today, digital PET-CT scanners provide high image qualities, and radiologists can now detect small cancer lesions and treat the cancer effectively on time. Here is how advanced PET-CT scanning has improved cancer imaging: ·          It helps to find tricky thyroid tumors – Thyroid cells may fail to absorb iodine in some thyroid cancers. This means that radioiodine imaging, which usually is used to track radioactive iodine, may fail because of the inability of the thyroid cells to absorb iodine. That is when doctors use PET-CT scanning to find the thyroid tumors. ·          When cells lose the ability to absorb iodine, PET-CT scanning can be used to watch the metabolic activity of cells ...