About PET/CT Scanning

PET/CT scanning is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available, enabling doctors to determine the precise location of a tumor. PET/CT works by merging two techniques, each of which records a different part of the body:

• PET (Positron Emission Tomography) sees metabolic processes, which is useful for targeting a tumor. In a PET scan, the patient is injected with a small amount of radioactive sugar, which the scanner can see through the body. Cancer cells, because they grow more rapidly than healthy cells, often consume much of the sugar, allowing the scanner to make precise images of the tumor.
• Computed tomography (CT) sees the body; it is similar to a traditional x-ray, with several improvements. CT scans can show a high level of detail, and can take accurate pictures of the brain and body. CT scans are 360°, so 3-D pictures of the body can be made.

The images from the two scanners are then combined to get a complete picture of the tumor location, size, and shape. This information is used when diagnosing and staging the disease, planning treatment, and monitoring treatment progress. The level of detail that PET/CT imaging gives doctors allows oncologists to reduce the amount of healthy tissue which is treated.

UPMC Cancer Centers has had access to PET/CT technology since its creation. In 1998, UPMC became home to the first PET/CT scanner, and has since utilized the technology in more than 10,000 clinical cases. The introduction of PET/CT has benefitted the diagnosis of head and neck cancer and melanoma patients, two formerly hard-to-spot cancer types. PET/CT provides greater diagnostic accuracy in a variety of cancers including lung cancer, lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease, and pancreatic, head and neck, ovarian, and cervical cancers.

What is Mobile PET/CT?

Despite the benefits of PET/CT, the cost of the equipment has caused PET/CT to be limited to larger hospitals. To bring PET/CT closer to patient, UPMC offers a mobile PET/CT unit that allows several community cancer centers to share equipment and provide PET/CT scans without requiring additional travel.

The Mobile PET/CT unit is identical to the stationary units, except that the equipment is mounted in a tractor trailer which is parked outside the network locations. Scans are scheduled with your oncologist, and the actual procedure takes place in the trailer.

For more information

PET/CT imaging is available at hospital-based locations. The diagnostic images taken from the mobile unit are evaluated on-site, or sent to radiologists at hospital-based locations for evaluation.

Your oncologist can provide more information about PET/CT technology. PET/CT is offered at many UPMC Cancer Centers locations - you can search for a radiation oncologist by ZIP code, or view our map of locations.