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P.E.T. Offered at Clark Memorial Hospital
“P.E.T. can pinpoint the area of a tumor and provide an image that helps determine if the cells are growing or changing in shape,” says Dr. Stephen Matthews, radiologist at Clark Memorial Hospital. “This usually indicates if the tumor is cancerous.”
The P.E.T. scan is a mobile unit integrated into a 42-foot trailer with room for additional medical equipment and a physician viewing room. It will be at Clark Memorial Hospital one day a week and each test takes approximately 90 minutes.
The procedure begins when the patient is injected with a radioactive glucose called FDG, according to Dr. Matthews. Once the FDG has had time to circulate through the body, the patient lies on a table and passes slowly through the scanner, which is similar to a CT scanner.
“Since cancerous cells utilize glucose at a faster rate than healthy cells, the FDG emits a radioactive signal from that area of the body when it passes through the P.E.T. scan,” says Dr. Matthews.
CT or MRI scans can detect an abnormality; however, a P.E.T. scan has the ability to focus on the area in a three-dimensional image for further review.
“The P.E.T. scan gives physicians the technology to examine the chemistry and function of the body. That eliminates additional testing and helps shape the plan of treatment for the patient,” says Dr. Matthews.
In addition to diagnosis, P.E.T. scan can also determine whether or not chemotherapy treatments have affected the tumor and if the cancer has spread.
P.E.T. also is proving valuable in the evaluation of heart disease and various neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, along with pinpointing areas that cause seizures that were previously more difficult to detect.
“The future in these areas is quite promising. With heart disease, a P.E.T. scan reveals inadequate blood flow to the heart that would normally go undetected until a heart event attack,” says Dr. Matthews. “This eliminates the need for redundant tests and diagnostic surgical procedures.
At this time, Medicare has approved six type-specific scans for medical reimbursement including to lung cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, and cardiac evaluation. Additional scans for breast cancer, head and neck cancer, ovarian cancer, and neurological disorders are being evaluated for future reimbursement.
For more information, talk to your physician or call Clark Memorial at 283-2212.
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