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What Can a PET Scan Reveal?

A positron emission tomography scan can reveal the functioning of many of your internal organs. PET scans are useful in diagnosing a variety of medical conditions, from cancer to heart disease.

  1. Function

    • As the Mayo Clinic notes, PET scans can detect areas of disease or abnormality by observing the body’s absorption of a small amount of injected radioactive material. The radioactive material tends to become concentrated in areas of higher chemical activity, a phenomenon that often signals the presence of disease. These areas are visible as bright spots on the PET scan.

    Cancer

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, PET scans can reveal the presence certain cancers, since cancer cells have an elevated metabolism rate. PET scans can show how far a cancer has spread and provide information on the success of a treatment plan.

    Neurological Disorders

    • According to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, PET scans can reveal some neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, that produce characteristic PET scan results due to metabolic changes.

    Heart Disease

    • As the Mayo Clinic explains, PET scans are also used in treating heart disease, as a PET scan can reveal which areas of the heart are suffering from decreased blood flow.

    Brain Activity

    • According to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, PET scans can be used to observe what areas of the brain are necessary to perform certain tasks, as active brain areas require more blood flow and thus light up on a PET scan.

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