About the Exam
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a relatively non-invasive, diagnostic imaging technique that produces pictures of the human body’s biological functions. It is a useful addition to the physician’s diagnostic resources for detecting certain types of cancer and conditions of the heart and brain.

PET is unique because it produces images of the body’s basic biological functions. The traditional diagnostic techniques—MRI, CT scans, and x-rays—chiefly produce images of the body’s anatomy or structure. PET can detect certain diseases earlier, because the body’s biological functions change sooner than does the anatomy or structure. PET can reveal disease that other imaging techniques cannot detect.

PET has been around for at least 25 years. During this time, a growing body of scientific literature has moved this emerging technology beyond the experimental stage. Only recently has the scanning and computing equipment become cost effective and available in the Rochester area. Rochester Radiology operate a mobile PET scan service at a dedicated facility located at 1277 Portland Avenue. This unit serves the needs of the greater Rochester and surrounding nine-county area.

During the Exam
A PET scan is a simple procedure. First, a compound familiar to the human body (such as glucose sugar) is tagged with a signal-emitting tracer. You will be injected with this tracer and asked to rest while the radioactive compound is distributed throughout your body. The glucose is attracted to cells with increased metabolism, such as cancer cells. Next, the examining table on which you are resting passes through the PET scanner. A PET camera scans your body. It records the signals the tracers emit as they journey through the body and collect in the organs targeted for examination. The organ cells that have attracted the compound are easily seen on the scan if they have clustered to a size of approximately a quarter of an inch (7 mm) or greater. Last, a computer translates the signals into actual images that show normal or abnormal organ function. The nuclear physician or radiologist reads the images.

The entire procedure typically takes from two to three hours, depending on the specific type of PET study.

After the Exam
After the exam, you should not experience any side effects from the tracer. You can expect to resume your normal activities.

The nuclear physician or radiologist shares the results of the exam with your referring physician, allowing the referring physician and you to consider appropriate follow-up and treatment.

We encourage you to contact us at any time to discuss your questions and concerns.