Question 1

does a pet scan detect lung or pancreatic cancer?

Accepted Answer

: Proof of either "lung or pancreatic cancer" is usually done imaging and or directed biopsy. Once diagnosed, "PET scans" are valuable to detect possible metastatic disease.

Question 2

what does a pet scan done for "multiple somatic complaints" generally mean?

Accepted Answer

: Translation: Multiple- self explanatory .   Somatic= having to do with bodily function/location.    Complaints- self explanatory.  The description is more justification for the study that does not  focus on one area of concern but several.

Question 3

what does a pet scan with cancer look like?

Accepted Answer

Bright spots: Areas of tumor tend to pick up the labeled compound and show up as foci of increased activity either bright or dark spots depending how the image is displayed.

Question 4

can a pet scan detect a hiatus hernia?

Accepted Answer

No: A pet scan is used to detect cancer spread.

Question 5

could a pet scan detect ovarian cancer?

Accepted Answer

Helps: Pet scans detect metabolically active tissues and since most tumors more active than normal tissues, pet scans help with diagnosis.

Question 6

is it possible for a pet scan detect melanoma in the eye?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes: It is sometimes possible, depending on a few things - if the melanoma is large enough and if the malignant lesion is metabolically active.  Pet scans work by detecting cells that take up more glucose and are more metabolically active than normal cells.  

Unfortunately, if the melanoma is small, the pet scan can't always pick it up (at least on today's pet scanners).

Question 7

what does a pet scan from skull to thigh cover?

Accepted Answer

pet: Images from the skull to the thigh.

Question 8

what does a pet scan for leukemia show? since leukemia is in the blood, does it show cancer cells spread all over your body or does it show the cells concentrated in certain areas?

Accepted Answer

While : While pet imaging is commonly used for staging and restaging of lymphoma, pet imaging is not in widespread clinical use in the diagnosis or staging of leukemia. This is partly due to the diffuse nature of leukemia compared to the more focal findings characteristic of lymphoma. However, there are likely many ongoing research studies looking at pet imaging in leukemia, and patients with leukemia may choose to be enrolled in such a study if available. This could potentially benefit patients with leukemia in the future. There is some evidence, in at least one published report of two cases, that pet scans show diffusely increased uptake in the bone marrow of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (cml). Follow-up pet scans after treatment showed reduced bone marrow uptake in these two patients.

Question 9

radiology
does a pet scan have a much better chance of picking up a central lung cancer if it was missed at ldct? 
thank you

Accepted Answer

LDCT is a : noncontrast lung nodule screening study, and it is possible that small central lesions may not be visualized due to proximity to normal blood vessels or other structures.  PET is extremely sensitive, but if a diagnostic contrast enhanced CT scan with thinner collimation and higher resolution is negative, probably unnecessary.

Question 10

what does a pet scan of my esophageal cancer show that a ct scan doesn't?

Accepted Answer

Metabolic activity: Pet/ct scans are used in staging cancers-figuring out whether and how far a tumor has spread.  While a ct scan shows anatomy (where things are), a pet scan uses fluorescent labeled sugar molecules to show cells that have an increased activity.  Cells with a higher metabolic rate like cancer cells are more likely to show up.  Benign conditions such as inflammation and infection will also light up.

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Doctor answers about:

What does a pet scan detect

A member asked:

Does a pet scan detect lung or pancreatic cancer?

A member asked:

What does a pet scan done for "multiple somatic complaints" generally mean?

A member asked:

What does a pet scan with cancer look like?

A member asked:

Can a pet scan detect a hiatus hernia?

A member asked:

Could a pet scan detect ovarian cancer?

A member asked:

Is it possible for a pet scan detect melanoma in the eye?

A member asked:

What does a pet scan from skull to thigh cover?

A member asked:

What does a pet scan for leukemia show? since leukemia is in the blood, does it show cancer cells spread all over your body or does it show the cells concentrated in certain areas?

A member asked:

Radiology does a pet scan have a much better chance of picking up a central lung cancer if it was missed at ldct? thank you

A member asked:

What does a pet scan of my esophageal cancer show that a ct scan doesn't?

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