Pet Scan in Pune

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PET/CT Scan

• The Information You Need

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PET/CT Combined provides more information
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Most Advanced PET/CT Scan in PuneAt Onco-Life
Cancer Centre, Satara
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What is PET/CT Scan

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear
  imaging technique that produces 3D Image of
  functional processes in the body by detecting the
  radiation emitted by photons.
• Combined with a MRI scan or CT, a PET scan can
  produce multidimensional, color images of the
  inside workings of the human body.
• A PET scan is used to diagnose certain health
  conditions, to plan treatment, to find out how an
  existing condition is developing, and to see how
  effective a treatment is.
• It is very commonly used in cancer treatment,
  neurology, and cardiology.

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PET/CT Scan for cancer

• Cancer cells have a higher metabolic rate than
  noncancerous cells. Because of this high level of
  chemical activity, cancer cells show up as bright
  spots on PET scans. For this reason, PET scans
  are useful both for detecting cancer and for
• seeing if the cancer has spread
• seeing if a cancer treatment is working
• checking for a cancer recurrence
• However, these scans should be read carefully by
  your doctor, as its possible for noncancerous
  conditions to look like cancer on a scan. Its
  also common for solid tumors to fail to appear on
  PET scans.

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PET/CT Scan Uses

• PET scans are commonly used to investigate a
  number of conditions.
• Epilepsy It can reveal which part of the brain
  the epilepsy is affecting.
• Alzheimer's disease PET scans can help
  diagnose Alzheimer's disease
• Cancer PET scans can reveal the presence and
  stage of a cancer, show whether and where it has
  spread, and help doctors decide on treatment. A
  PET scan can give an idea of how
  well chemotherapy is working, and it can detect a
  recurring tumor sooner than other techniques.
• Heart disease A PET scan can help detect which
  parts of the heart have been damaged or scarred,
  and it can help identify circulation problems in
  the working of the heart. This information can
  help plan treatment options for heart disease.
• Medical research Researchers can learn vital
  information by using PET scans, especially about
  the workings of the brain

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PET/CT Scan Procedure

• A PET scan is an OPD procedure
• The patient should not consume any food for at
  least 4 to 6 hours before the scan, they should
  also drink plenty of water. They have to avoid
  caffeine for at least 24 hours before the scan.
• First, the doctor will inject a small amount of
  radiotracer (Contrast) into a vein. The tracer
  can also be breathed in as a gas, taken by mouth,
  or injected directly into an organ.
• Depending on which the organ is involved, it may
  take from 30 to 90 minutes for the radiotracer to
  reach the targeted part of the body.
• Meanwhile, the patient will normally be asked to
  stay still and not talk. Some patients may be
  given medication to keep calm relax.

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• When the patient is ready, he/she will be taken
  to PET/CT Scan area for the scan. They will lie
  down on a cushioned examination table. Once the
  scan starts, machine shall take images
• Average time for a scan is 30 minutes. Depending
  on the body part.
• It is not painful. If the patient feels unwell,
  they can press a buzzer to alert the staff. A
  qualified practitioner always keeps a close watch
  during the scan
• The entire testing procedure typically takes
  about 2 hours. Most patients can go home as soon
  as the scan is finished.
• Patients should consume plenty of liquids to
  flush out the radioactive drugs out of their
  system. The radiotracers usually leaves the body
  completely within 3 to 4 hours.

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Risks of PET/CT Scan

• There is a mild risk of radiation exposure which
  is not in lethal amounts
• The radiotracer injected (contrast) could cause
  reaction in the body as it is not suitable to all
  
• For most people, benefits of PET/CT Scan
  outweighs the risk aspect
• Ideally, a pregnant woman should refrain from
  getting a PET/CT Scan done as there is a slight
  risk of it affecting the foetus due to radiation
  being involved
• If a woman is breastfeeding, she should follow
  directions for pumping and discarding breast milk
  and ask the doctor when it is safe to resuming
  breastfeeding based on the test performed.

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Case studies of PET/CT Scan in Pune

• A 75 years old gentleman, who presented with
  complaints of low backache since last 3 4
  months was suspected to have cancer in his
  vertebral (spine) bones. He underwent F18-FDG
  PET-CT scan which showed linear compression
  fractures secondary to osteoporosis (weak bones)
  in two of his lower back (lumbar) vertebrae. Thus
  Whole body PET-CT scan could easily rule out
  cancer in this patient.

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• A 55 years old lady, who presented with chest
  pain on off since last 6 months. Her X-ray
  chest showed thickening of pleura (covering on
  the lungs) on right side of chest with no fluid
  collection (pleural effusion) and was hence
  suspected to have cancer. She underwent F18-FDG
  PET-CT scan which showed diffuse FDG uptake in
  the thickened pleura on right side as well as few
  nodules (tiny ball like structures) in upper part
  of both lungs suggesting infection as the cause
  rather than cancer. Small samples (biopsy) of the
  pleura revealed tuberculosis (TB) as the cause of
  infection. Thus Whole body PET-CT scan could
  easily rule out cancer in this patient and
  establish TB infection as the cause of her chest
  pain.

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• A 69 years old lady who had initially presented
  with carcinoma (cancer) of cervix was treated
  with 5 cycles of chemotherapy (cancer killing
  medicines) and radiation therapy (cancer killing
  X-rays). She now developed fluid discharge from
  the vagina and was suspected to have developed
  recurrence of the disease. She underwent F18-FDG
  PET-CT scan which showed diffuse FDG uptake in
  the cervix and vagina suggesting infection as the
  cause of fluid discharge. She was treated with
  antibiotics and anti-fungal medicines and was
  completely relieved of her symptoms. Thus Whole
  body PET-CT scan could easily rule out recurrence
  of cancer in this patient.

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