TEST ACRONYM

FULL TERMINOLOGY

FDG-PET/CT -- F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography

DEFINITION

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computerized Tomography (CT) are both standard imaging tools that allow physicians to pinpoint the location of cancer within the body before making treatment recommendations.
The highly sensitive PET scan detects the metabolic signal of actively growing cancer cells in the body and the CT scan provides a detailed picture of the internal anatomy that reveals the location, size and shape of abnormal cancerous growths.
Alone, each imaging test has particular benefits and limitations but when the results of PET and CT scans are "fused" together, the combined image provides complete information on cancer location and metabolism.

WHEN TEST WOULD BE PERFORMED

Like the individual tests that it combines, an integrated PET-CT scan is a diagnostic examination used to detect and determine the stage (a measurement given or a diagnosis that describes the size of the original tumor and identifies whether the tumor has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body) of cancer, determine whether cancerous cells have spread, and evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatments. The scan is also used to guide some types of biopsies (the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination to determine whether cancer is present).

INFORMATION VALUE

A PET/CT exam not only helps your physician diagnose a problem, it also helps predict the likely outcome of various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to treatment, and monitor your progress

CAUTION

A PET-CT scan is not painful. You will need to lie still for the entire scan, and you may need to keep your arms raised above your head, which could become uncomfortable. The PET-CT scanner needs to be kept cool, so the examination room may feel chilly.