PET/CT scanners give information on any areas of increased cell activity (from the PET), as well as show more detail in these areas (from the CT). PET/CT scans: Doctors often use machines that combine a PET scan with a CT scan. YouвЂ™ll be asked to not drink any sugary liquids for several hours before the test. Cancer cells, which grow quickly, are more likely to take up larger amounts of the sugar than normal cells. Body cells take in different amounts of the sugar, depending on how fast they are growing. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans: PET scans usually use a form of radioactive sugar. The tracer collects in the bone over a few hours, then the scans are done. They can often find bone changes much earlier than regular x-rays. These nuclear medicine scans are commonly used for cancer:Д«one scans: Bone scans look for cancers that may have spread (metastasized) from other places to the bones. A radiologist or a doctor who specializes in nuclear medicine interprets the pictures and sends a report to your doctor. The signals are processed by a computer, which turns them into 2- or 3-dimensional (3-D) pictures, sometimes with color added for extra clarity. The collected tracer sends out gamma rays that are picked up by a special camera (a gamma camera, rectilinear scanner, or scintiscan). This can take from a few seconds to several days. Over time the tracer collects in the part of the body thatвЂ™s being tested. Some are swallowed while others are put into a vein or inhaled as a gas. In most cases youвЂ™re given a tracer (or radionuclide) that sends out small doses of radiation. Some nuclear scans are also used to measure heart function. For instance, bone scans that show hot spots on the skeleton are usually followed by x-rays of the affected bones, which are better at showing details of the bone structure. Because of this, theyвЂ™re often used along with other imaging tests to give a more complete picture of whatвЂ™s going on. These scans can show some internal organ and tissue problems better than other imaging tests, but they donвЂ™t provide very detailed images on their own. Nuclear scans may not find very small tumors, and cannot always tell whether a tumor is really cancer. Depending on the type of scan done, the tumor might instead be a вЂњcold spotвЂќ вЂ“ a site of decreased uptake (and less cell activity). If cancer is present, the tumor may show up on the picture as a вЂњhot spotвЂќ вЂ“ an area of increased cell activity and tracer uptake. Special cameras pick up the pattern of radioactivity to create pictures that show where the tracer travels and where it collects. These scans use liquid substances called radionuclides (also called tracers or radiopharmaceuticals) that release low levels of radiation.Д«ody tissues affected by certain diseases, such as cancer, may absorb more or less of the tracer than normal tissues. Nuclear scans make pictures based on the bodyвЂ™s chemistry (like metabolism) rather than on physical shapes and forms (as is the case with other imaging tests). PET (positron emission tomography) scans.Some of the nuclear medicine scans most commonly used for cancer (described in more detail further on) are: The specific type of nuclear scan youвЂ™ll have depends on which organ the doctor wants to look into. These tests are painless and usually done as an outpatient procedure. They may also be used to decide if treatment is working. Nuclear medicine scans ( also known as nuclear imaging, radionuclide imaging, and nuclear scans) can help doctors find tumors and see how much the cancer has spread in the body (called the cancerвЂ™s stage).

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