PHILADELPHIA Fox Chase Cancer Center is the only institution in the Greater Delaware Valley now offering patients the newest in imaging technology called PET/CT scanning. PET/CT is the fusion of two advanced technologies that combine detailed images of a patient's internal anatomy together with a unique view of cell metabolic function, aiding physicians in detecting and accurately diagnosing various cancers.
"PET/CT is the most sophisticated imaging equipment available and we're very excited to now offer this new technology to our patients," says Lee P. Adler, MD, chief of nuclear medicine and senior member at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "This technology will allow us to optimize the treatments we offer patients and ultimately achieve greater success in their care."
PET stands for positron emission tomography and it detects changes in cellular function how cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen. Areas with a high degree of metabolic activity have a greater chance of being cancerous. A computerized tomography or CT scan allows physicians to see the internal or anatomical structures within the human body. Together these two technologies make up the revolutionary PET/CT scan that enable Fox Chase physicians to view metabolic activity and pinpoint the location of abnormal lesions to target the disease more precisely.
"When used alone the PET and CT scans are good diagnostic tools, but when combined, they're much superior," says Adler. "The advantage here is the cancer is highlighted on the computer screen. We're able to pinpoint the location of the cancer, determine the extent of the disease, and evaluate the effectiveness of the patient's treatment," says Adler.
The PET/CT unit will be used at Fox Chase to determine if tumors are benign or malignant, to examine if prior therapy has been effective, and to detect if cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This technology will be particularly useful to more accurately diagnos
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Contact: Sue Montgomery Madden
S_Madden@fccc.edu
215-728-7784
Fox Chase Cancer Center
3-Sep-2002
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