Find the best doctor of PET CT Scan in Pune at Onco Life Cancer Centre, Satara. For more info, please visit: https://www.oncolifehospitals.com/services/pet-ct-scan/

1. PET/CT Scan
The Information You Need

2. PET/CT Combined provides more information

3. Most Advanced PET/CT Scan in Pune
At Onco-Life Cancer Centre, Satara

4. What is PET/CT Scan
 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging technique that produces
3D Image of functional processes in the body by detecting the radiation emitted by
photons.
 Combined with a MRI scan or CT, a PET scan can produce multidimensional, color
images of the inside workings of the human body.
 A PET scan is used to diagnose certain health conditions, to plan treatment, to find
out how an existing condition is developing, and to see how effective a treatment
is.
 It is very commonly used in cancer treatment, neurology, and cardiology.

5. PET/CT Scan for cancer
 Cancer cells have a higher metabolic rate than noncancerous
cells. Because of this high level of chemical activity, cancer
cells show up as bright spots on PET scans. For this reason,
PET scans are useful both for detecting cancer and for:
 seeing if the cancer has spread
 seeing if a cancer treatment is working
 checking for a cancer recurrence
 However, these scans should be read carefully by your doctor,
as it’s possible for noncancerous conditions to look like
cancer on a scan. It’s also common for solid tumors to fail to
appear on PET scans.

6. PET/CT Scan Uses
 PET scans are commonly used to investigate a number of conditions.
 Epilepsy: It can reveal which part of the brain the epilepsy is affecting.
 Alzheimer's disease: PET scans can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease
 Cancer: PET scans can reveal the presence and stage of a cancer, show whether
and where it has spread, and help doctors decide on treatment. A PET scan can
give an idea of how well chemotherapy is working, and it can detect a
recurring tumor sooner than other techniques.
 Heart disease: A PET scan can help detect which parts of the heart have been
damaged or scarred, and it can help identify circulation problems in the working of
the heart. This information can help plan treatment options for heart disease.
 Medical research: Researchers can learn vital information by using PET scans,
especially about the workings of the brain

7. PET/CT Scan Procedure
 A PET scan is an OPD procedure
 The patient should not consume any food for at least 4 to 6 hours before the scan,
they should also drink plenty of water. They have to avoid caffeine for at least 24
hours before the scan.
 First, the doctor will inject a small amount of radiotracer (Contrast) into a vein. The
tracer can also be breathed in as a gas, taken by mouth, or injected directly into an
organ.
 Depending on which the organ is involved, it may take from 30 to 90 minutes for
the radiotracer to reach the targeted part of the body.
 Meanwhile, the patient will normally be asked to stay still and not talk. Some
patients may be given medication to keep calm & relax.

8.  When the patient is ready, he/she will be taken to PET/CT Scan area for the
scan. They will lie down on a cushioned examination table. Once the scan
starts, machine shall take images
 Average time for a scan is 30 minutes. Depending on the body part.
 It is not painful. If the patient feels unwell, they can press a buzzer to alert
the staff. A qualified practitioner always keeps a close watch during the
scan
 The entire testing procedure typically takes about 2 hours. Most patients
can go home as soon as the scan is finished.
 Patients should consume plenty of liquids to flush out the radioactive
drugs out of their system. The radiotracers usually leaves the body
completely within 3 to 4 hours.

9. Risks of PET/CT Scan
 There is a mild risk of radiation exposure which is not in lethal amounts
 The radiotracer injected (contrast) could cause reaction in the body as it is not
suitable to all
 For most people, benefits of PET/CT Scan outweighs the risk aspect
 Ideally, a pregnant woman should refrain from getting a PET/CT Scan done as there
is a slight risk of it affecting the foetus due to radiation being involved
 If a woman is breastfeeding, she should follow directions for pumping and
discarding breast milk and ask the doctor when it is safe to resuming breastfeeding
based on the test performed.

10. Case studies of PET/CT Scan in Pune
 A 75 years old gentleman, who presented with complaints of
low backache since last 3 – 4 months was suspected to have
cancer in his vertebral (spine) bones. He underwent F18-FDG
PET-CT scan which showed linear compression fractures
secondary to osteoporosis (weak bones) in two of his lower
back (lumbar) vertebrae. Thus Whole body PET-CT scan could
easily rule out cancer in this patient.

11.  A 55 years old lady, who presented with chest pain – on & off since last 6 months.
Her X-ray chest showed thickening of pleura (covering on the lungs) on right side
of chest with no fluid collection (pleural effusion) and was hence suspected to have
cancer. She underwent F18-FDG PET-CT scan which showed diffuse FDG uptake in
the thickened pleura on right side as well as few nodules (tiny ball like structures) in
upper part of both lungs suggesting infection as the cause rather than cancer.
Small samples (biopsy) of the pleura revealed tuberculosis (TB) as the cause of
infection. Thus Whole body PET-CT scan could easily rule out cancer in this patient
and establish TB infection as the cause of her chest pain.

12.  A 69 years old lady who had initially presented with carcinoma (cancer) of cervix
was treated with 5 cycles of chemotherapy (cancer killing medicines) and radiation
therapy (cancer killing X-rays). She now developed fluid discharge from the vagina
and was suspected to have developed recurrence of the disease. She underwent
F18-FDG PET-CT scan which showed diffuse FDG uptake in the cervix and vagina
suggesting infection as the cause of fluid discharge. She was treated with
antibiotics and anti-fungal medicines and was completely relieved of her
symptoms. Thus Whole body PET-CT scan could easily rule out recurrence of
cancer in this patient.

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