- Position Emission Tomography (PET)
What is a PET?
Position Emission Tomography is the study and visualization of human physiology by detection of a short-lived positron emitting radiolpharmaceutical. It is the only non-invasive technology that can routinely and quantitatively measure metabolic, biochemical and functional activity in living tissue or more simply, it can see and detect molecular changes in cells. Using radioactive isotope tracers, like glucose, a PET can highlight cancer as well as detect dying heart muscle, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Where is it done?
There are less than a handful of PET scanners in Ontario. All three are at academic hospital sites.
PETs are located at the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation in Hamilton as well as at hospitals in Ottawa and Toronto. The PET in Hamilton is used for a mixture of research and disease detection while the scanners in Toronto and Ottawa are used strictly for research
Why is it important?
PET offers a non-invasive way to create three dimensional pictures or images of tissue function.
The PET scanner is particularly important in detection and treatment of cancers of the lung, colon, testes and breast as well as for lymphoma and melanoma. It can visualize rapidly growing tumours or determine how a tumour will respond to radiation or chemotherapy.
The PET is one of the most sensitive tests for cancer available.
|
Imagine Creative Communications