What is a PET scan?

PET, or Positron Emission Tomography, uses advanced imaging to examine body tissues by looking at blood flow, metabolism, and oxygen use. This aids in diagnosing cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders. PET scans can also see how well treatment for certain diseases is working.

PET often detects diseases earlier than conventional imaging, such as CT (Computed Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). PET is frequently combined with a low-dose non-diagnostic CT for a more accurate image. You may also be scheduled for a separate diagnostic CT to help your doctor learn more about your anatomy, which will be scheduled in a different department.

Why choose us?

Kettering Health has an onsite cyclotron, a machine that produces certain radioactive imaging drugs, called radiopharmaceuticals, giving Kettering Health improved access to the tracers used in PET imaging. 

All Kettering Health facilities are accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for nuclear medicine, PET, and nuclear cardiology. Kettering Health Main Campus holds an additional accreditation as a Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

How is a PET scan different from a CT or MRI scan?

While CTs and MRIs show detailed images of your body’s organs, bones, and tissues, PET scans provide information about diseases from a cellular level and show how they function.

For a PET scan, a small amount of radioactive drug, called a tracer, is injected into your veins and emits positrons. The camera uses these positrons to create a 3D image of your body.

Types of PET scan at Kettering Health

Kettering Health offers PET/CT advanced imaging at three locations: Kettering Health Main Campus, Soin Medical Center, and Kettering Health Hamilton.

• PET/CT FDG is the most common PET scan performed at Kettering Health Main Campus, Soin Medical Center, and Kettering Health Hamilton
• PET/CT for prostate cancer imaging performed at Kettering Health Main Campus, Soin Medical Center, and Kettering Health Hamilton
• PET/CT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (stress test) for cardiac imaging performed at Kettering Health Main Campus
• PET/CT for neuroendocrine imaging performed at Kettering Health Main Campus
• PET/CT brain imaging, including C11 methionine and Florodeoxyglucose imaging for brain tumors, and Amyloid imaging for Alzheimer’s disease, performed at Kettering Health Main Campus
• PET/CT research studies performed at Kettering Health Main Campus

What happens during the scan?

• Before your appointment: When you schedule your PET/CT, you’ll learn about how best to prepare for your scan, including fasting requirements and what to expect on the day of your scan, including how long the scan will take. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor who ordered the test for medication management.  
• The day before your scan: A nurse will call to ask about your medications and to remind you of your appointment, to avoid vigorous exercise, and to explain how to prepare. This might include being asked not to eat, drink caffeine, or withhold certain medications prior to your exam.
• When you arrive: Wear comfortable clothing and avoid wearing metal belt buckles and jewelry. A nurse will ask for your height and weight and for you to remove metal objects. Let your nurse know if you have any non-removable devices, such as insulin pumps or pain pumps. A nurse will place an IV in your arm, and a technologist will use the IV to inject a radioactive tracer. You will be asked to relax in a comfortable chair for 30 minutes to an hour while the medication is absorbed by your body.
• During the scan: A technologist will help you lie down on the PET scanner’s table and make you comfortable with warm blankets and pillows. You may be asked to raise your arms above your head. Music will be offered, and the lights may be dimmed for your comfort. The scanner may make a quiet buzzing sound when it takes CT pictures. Your head will be outside of the scanner for most of the exam. 
• After your scan: A technologist will help you off the table. A certified nuclear medicine specialist will read your pictures within 24 hours and will send your results to MyChart and your referring physician.