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Manipal Hospitals, Dhakuria, West Bengal, is among the leading hospitals for performing PET CT scans, a sophisticated imaging technique in nuclear medicine. The imaging examination creates pictures of your organs and tissues in action. The test makes use of a PET scanner and a harmless, injectable radioactive substance known as a radiotracer. Large-scale radiotracer absorption by abnormal cells, a sign of a possible health issue, is picked up by the scanner. PET scans are widely used by medical professionals to aid in the diagnosis and evaluation of cancer treatments. The scan can also be used to evaluate certain heart and brain problems. When PET scans are combined with a CT Scan, it provides information on areas of the body with increased cell activity (from PET) and also provides more anatomical details of the suspected area (from CT), helping doctors pinpoint tumours. At Manipal Hospitals, we are dedicated to providing you with the finest diagnosis possible to support you on your path to well-being.
When combined, Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET/CT) provide an easily interpreted picture that includes details on both the anatomy (such as the size and location of a tumour or mass) and the metabolic function (such as the cellular activity of a tumour or mass). In addition to correctly diagnosing, staging, and treating cancer, this test allows medical professionals to identify Alzheimer's and heart disease earlier and with greater diagnostic certainty than they could with just PET or CT imaging.
Computed tomography (CT) exams make use of X-rays. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests make use of radio waves and magnets. Both produce static images of organs and body components. In PET scans, an organ's live function is displayed using a radioactive tracer. Images from PET scans are more sensitive than those from CT and MRI scans in identifying cellular changes in organs and tissues. Your healthcare provider can do PET and CT scans concurrently (PET-CT). These combination tests allow for the creation of 3D images, which facilitates a more accurate diagnosis.
Doctors now employ a combined PET/MRI scan. This new approach yields impressively high-contrast images. Providers mostly use this type of scan to identify and monitor cancers of the soft tissues, including the head, neck, liver, and pelvis.
PET and PET/CT scans are performed by doctors to:
Identify and/or diagnose cancer.
Ascertain whether a malignancy has progressed throughout the body.
Evaluate the treatment's efficacy.
Check to see if the cancer has returned after treatment.
Assess the prognosis.
Examine tissue viability and metabolism.
Ascertain which parts of the heart are affected by a myocardial infarction or heart attack.
Determine which cardiac muscle regions would benefit from Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery or Angioplasty (in conjunction with a myocardial perfusion scan).
Examine anomalies of the brain, including tumours, memory loss, seizures, and other problems with the central nervous system.
Before your procedure, your doctor would ask you to change your clothing to a gown if required. Inform the doctor about your additional health issues, allergies, and ongoing medicines. Women should specifically inform the doctor and the technician of any information regarding their breastfeeding status and pregnancy. Depending on the type of PET scan, specific instructions will be given. It might be beneficial to pump breast milk in advance if you are nursing. CT scans can be impacted by metal items, hearing aids, and dental treatment. To prevent suboptimal scans, it is recommended not to eat before the scan and to stay away from sugary beverages. Patients with diabetes might require specific guidance. Additionally, patients should let their doctor know about any sensitivities they may have, particularly to iodine or contrast materials. Any conditions that can raise the danger of getting intravenous contrast material will be examined by the doctors
The couch moves gently through the scanner, back and forth. The device collects images while you move through them. Although the scan is harmless, having to remain still during it may be uncomfortable. Inform your radiographer if you need to move because you're becoming stiff. The radiographers can usually play music for you, and it's not a very noisy procedure. Your radiographer will return to the room when it's finished and lower the couch to allow you to get up.
A small intravenous injection of radioactive glucose, a sugar, is administered. Where the glucose is being used is captured on the image by the PET scanner. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), a radioisotope tracer analogous to glucose, is also used in PET scanning. Because malignant cells have a high rate of glucose metabolism, FDG accumulates inside them. After receiving this injection, the patient is examined using a whole-body PET scanner to identify any malignant lesions that may have gone undetected or been challenging to identify using traditional CT, X-ray, or MRI imaging techniques.
PET scans use a small amount of radiation, referred to as "diagnostic levels," similar to the majority of other medical imaging examinations. Your physician has recommended a PET scan because the advantages of the procedure significantly exceed the risk of a minor dose of diagnostic radiation. Furthermore, our PET scanners can provide extremely high-quality images with radiation levels that are far lower than the other diagnostic tests.
Once the cannula is removed from your arm by a radiographer, you can resume your regular eating and drinking following the scan. Getting enough liquids in your diet aids in the radioactive tracer's removal from your body. You will need to be driven home by someone if you have taken medication. You'll be too sleepy to drive for the rest of the day. Little amounts of radiation are released by the radioactive tracer, and they rapidly disappear. The doctors might tell you to stay at arm's length from infants or pregnant women for a few hours due to the risk of radiation. Bring your appointment note if you're going overseas because airports may have sensitive radiation sensors.
The majority of the mild side effects associated with PET scans include discomfort and oedema at the injection site. Although allergic reactions to the injection are uncommon, you might suffer from symptoms such as nausea, nasal congestion, hives, restlessness, or dizziness. You should contact your healthcare professional right after you observe any such symptom.
Since PET is a biological imaging test and illness is a biological process, it may identify and stage the majority of malignancies, frequently before other tests reveal them. Because they use more glucose than healthy tissues, cancer cells appear brighter in the image. Data from clinical studies have demonstrated that PET is more effective than conventional imaging for the diagnosis, staging, and surveillance (restaging) of a variety of cancer types.
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