Benefits of PET/CT

Medical diagnosis imaging technologies have always focused on either the Anatomical structure (location of internal organs and suspicious masses) or Functional change (areas of cancerous growth) imaging.

Whilst the development of PET and CT separately took medical imaging further than it had ever been, there were still some drawbacks including separate images being of limited accuracy, time consuming to do separate CT and PET scans as well as separate CT and PET scans being used individually and missing important information.

The benefits of combining CT and PET scanning devices to create a new hybrid form of medical imaging have tremendous benefits to both surgeons and patients alike.

The benefits of PET/CT scanning are explained below:

· PET/CT provides a very accessible and comfortable, patient friendly imaging device

· PET/CT combines the superior anatomical imaging of CT with the excellent biochemical functioning capturing of PET to provide superior lesion and tumour localization from near perfect analytical and functional imaging.

· PET/CT provides greater distinction between physiological (organ) uptake and pathological (cancerous) uptake of tracer, allowing better diagnosis of cancerous masses.

· PET/CT is more time efficient as the CT and PET scans can be completed in 30-45minutes, where as a PET scan alone can take up to 60 minutes. Also time is saved carrying out the PET and CT scans at the same time, than on separate machines. This is important for quick detection and treatment planning.

· PET/CT detects 80% of tumours, as opposed to MRI, which only detects 52% of all tumours. PET/CT is also 33% more likely to accurately detect a tumour that separate CT and PET scans that are used together.

· PET/CT allows both PET and CT scans to be performed simultaneously with a constant geometry and patient positioning, removing problems with internal organ and patient movement that affected separate CT and PET scans used together.

· PET/CT can help avoid un-necessary procedures such as invasive surgery to see if a tumour exists.

· PET/CT combines to give a more accurate picture of the internal workings of the body

· PET/CT can detect tumours as small as 4mm in total length

· PET/CT can help assist surgeons in planning a form of treatment or route to the target tumour, because it offers a more complete picture as there is more detail as well as both functional and anatomical information on the same image

· PET/CT can help detect cancer earlier, even before symptoms arise

· PET/CT provides excellent patient monitoring options, both in seeing if all cancer has been removed or if cancer has reoccurred.

· PET/CT can help surgeons decide if surgery is an option

· PET/CT can help determine if someone is at risk of coronary illness, before symptoms occur

· PET/CT is beneficial in helping diagnose mental illnesses earlier, helping treat the problem before it develops.

· PET/CT files can be imported into radiation therapy planning computers, aiding surgery.

· PET/CT can help to determine earlier if a cancer treatment is working or not.