A member asked:

Is a pet scan used for colon cancer detection instead of a colonoscopy?

13 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

No: The standard method to detect colon cancer is a colonscopy- plus it gives the doctor a chance to get a biopsy at the same time. A pet is a very useful test for figuring out the extent of colon cancer once a diagnosis has been made- it is not used as a test to detect cancer at present..

Answered 8/4/2012

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No: Pet scans are used for staging cancer (assess if it has spread to other tissues), not for screening.

Answered 11/18/2020

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No: This is not a primary modality to identify a cancer, especially a colon cancer. It is used to better define metastatic disease in appropriate situations. A colonoscopy is your best test to identify a colon cancer if present.

Answered 9/29/2015

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