PET Scans – New Revolution in Treating Cancer

PET scans, or Positron Emission Tomography scans perform essential imaging function and very useful in detecting some of the diseases. It is used for detection of cancer and determination of the tumor cell spread. It’s used in mapping of the brain and heart functioning with the analysis of the blood which flows in these regions helping in evaluating and studying the myocardial infarction and ischemia effects on patients after the cardiac surgery. It is also used in determining management protocol for brain abnormalities, disorders in central nervous system and seizures.

By the way of functioning, PET/CT scans are quite different from MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). The studies show that PET/CT scan is very effective in the determination of the extent & spread of the malignancies when compared to the whole body MRI. MRI gives a view of internal organs in a 3D format whereas a PET/CT scan combines the nuclear imaging capability which also shows functional attributes of the internal organs. Information on functional metabolism helps the doctors in determining and staging the malignancies.

In PET scans, the radiotracer, a radioactive matter, is inserted in the body which accumulated around the affected organ for examination. Tracer emits gamma rays and provides the details of the effected internal organ with metabolic and chemical activity. Concentration of that radioactive matter depends on the metabolic activity which helps in staging and identification of the exact location of tumor.

PET scans help in diagnosing serious diseases so they have to be very expansive. Different countries of the world have different rates of PET scans. In the international destinations for medical tourism, a full body CT scan will cost 1/3rd of what it costs in USA and other developed countries. Many people from these developed countries go to the countries which offer PET and CT scan at cheapest rate. Countries like Jordon, Turkey, South Korea and India are among the few nations which offer these facilities at low prices.