Results of a breast PET/CT Exam

In cancer, cells begin to grow at a much faster rate, feeding on sugars like glucose. PET/CT works by using CT to build an anatomical image of the body, especially the breast area, and PET to gauge the biochemical function of the tumour, so that it can be found or aged, depending on whether the exam is for diagnosis or treatment options.

PET/CT use a small amount of a radioactive drug, which is normally FDG: a tracer in combination with a compound such as glucose. Once injected the FDG tracer travels through the body.

FDG emits signals as it travels and eventually collects in the organs targeted for examination. If an area in an organ is cancerous, the signals will be stronger (as shown on the images) since more glucose will be absorbed in those areas. Your physician or surgeon will pick up theses stronger images.

In a majority of breast cancer cases, if the cancer has affected the lymph nodes near to the tumor, the cancer cells will take up more of the radioactive glucose.

Knowing if cancer cells have entered the lymph nodes is critical in deciding what treatment to utilize. In a single whole-body picture, the PET/CT scan can look throughout your whole body to see if there are any clumps of the cancer cells to indicate that the cancer has spread.