PET technology is a highly useful modality in the detection of cancer. It can make a significant difference in identifying disease and evaluating metastasis and recurrence. In San Antonio and South Texas, Advanced Medical Imaging gives physicians the strength of PET technology.

Modalities such as CT and MRI provide images of the body's physical structures.  Because many physical structures look the same anatomically, pinpointing an abnormal area in an early stage can be difficult can be difficult.

PET provides images of the body's metabolic processing. This type of imaging makes it easier to identify the disease process before the disease has advanced enough to alter the shape, size or appearance of the anatomy. 

Prior to the scan, the patient is injected with FDG, a safe radiopharmaceutical that is a glucose analog. After injection, the FDG circulates through the body, showing areas of increased tracer activity where glucose is being used in excess of the normal body needs, such as in a growing tumor.

PET whole body imaging provides the means to identify early disease, differentiate benign from malignant lesions, evaluate for metastasis and verify the effectiveness of chemotherapy. 

PET can therefore play a significant role in the physicians case management plans.