PET/CT helps pinpoint cancer

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computerized Tomography (CT) are radiologic tools that allow physicians to pinpoint the location of cancer within the body before making treatment recommendations. With PET/CT, physicians get a more complete picture of what’s occurring in the body – both anatomically (through CT) and metabolically (through PET) in one continuous full-body scan lasting about 30 minutes.

Benefits of PET/CT include:

• Earlier diagnosis;
• Gauging extent of the disease; and,
• Guiding treatment planning and monitoring effectiveness of therapy.

PET is often used in the early diagnosis of cancer, since it can distinguish between benign and cancerous (malignant) tissue. PET scanning can be used to better understand how widespread a disease is within a patient or assess whether treatment has been effective.

In many cases, patients can avoid more invasive diagnostic procedures.

PET/CT is available at Baptist BodyScan in Louisville, located at 7807 Shelbyville Road (across from Oxmoor Mall).

For more information on PET/CT, visit the Baptist BodyScan Web site.