Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
ECT (Emission Computed Tomography), PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan
Why It Is Done
A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is done to:
- Study the brain's blood flow and metabolic activity. A PET scan can help a doctor find nervous system problems, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's disease, stroke, and schizophrenia.
- Find changes in the brain that may cause epilepsy.
- Find some cancers, especially lymphoma or cancers of the breast, brain, lung, colon, or prostate. In its early stages cancer may show up more clearly on a PET scan than on a CT scan or an MRI.
- See how advanced a cancer is and whether it has spread to another area of the body (metastasized). It is often necessary to do both CT and PET scans to evaluate cancer.
- Help a doctor choose the best treatment for cancer. PET scans may also be done to see whether surgery can be done to remove a tumor.
- Find poor blood flow to the heart, which may mean coronary artery disease.
- Find damaged heart tissue, especially after a heart attack.
- Help choose the best treatment, such as coronary artery bypass graft surgery, for a person with heart disease.
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| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: September 11, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
 | Why It Is Done |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |