Chris's Journal

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

PET scan

I was reading posts on a lung cancer survivor site and saw this explanation for PET scan.  I get them periodically to keep tabs on the cancer.
Next one is in July or August.

Here is the post:
Very quick simplified PET scan explaination: In a PET scan, the patient is injected with a solution high in glucose(sugar) that has a radioactive isotope attached to the glucose molecules. Cancer cells metabolize faster than normal cells, therefore they use (uptake) the glucose faster than normal cells do. When the scan is done, the radioactive isotope "glows". Where cancer cells are active, there will be more of the isotope, hence a brighter glow. This tells the doctors where cancer activity is present, and to what extent by reading the SUV (standardized uptake value). Since the doctor said those areas lit up on the PET scan, it would probably indicate that the cancer is still active in those areas. Other things can cause a high SUV, however, like infection or tissue damage (like maybe from radiation).

1 Comments:

  • At 2:49 PM, Blogger Ara said…

    How did it go? Loving you and wishing the worry away.

     

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