Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a type of nuclear medicine procedure that measures metabolic activity of the cells of body tissues. It is a combination of nuclear medicine and biochemical analysis tools.
The process involves an injection of a safe radioactive tracer that helps detect diseased cells. These cells absorb large amounts of radiotracers, which indicates potential health problems by showing both atypical and typical metabolic activity. Healthcare providers frequently use PET scans to help diagnose cancer and assess cancer treatment. They can also assess certain heart and brain issues with the scan. For example, in PET scans of the brain, a radioactive atom is applied to glucose (blood sugar) to create a radionuclide called Fluorodeoxyglucose( FDG). Comparatively, Computed Tomography (CT) scans uses X-rays, while Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans use magnets and radio waves. Both produce still images of organs and body structures. But PET scans use a radioactive tracer to show how an organ is functioning in real time. PET scan images can detect cellular changes in organs and tissues earlier than CT and MRI scans, by detecting the atypical metabolism before the disease shows up on the imaging tests.
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