PET/CT Scanner at MHP
July 12, 2005 - A new technology instrumental in
the early detection of cancer, heart disease and neurological
disorders is now available at Mercy Health Partners
in Muskegon.
A mobile PET/CT scanner will visit the hospital’s
Sherman campus weekly to provide the diagnostic procedure.
Previously the nearest PET/CT scanner was located in Grand
Rapids, but now MHP offers the service locally.
Positron Emission Tomography or PET is a nuclear medicine
procedure that produces images of the body’s biological
functions and Computed Tomography (CT) uses x-rays to produce
highly detailed anatomic images. New imaging technology unites
PET and CT into one combined scanning system where the molecular
images from PET are merged with the anatomical pictures produced
by the CT scanner.
PET enables physicians to diagnose many diseases earlier
than with other tests because a disease affects the body’s
biological functions before anatomical changes take place.
A tumor identified with CT can be confirmed as either benign
or malignant with PET. The PET can also provide more immediate
feedback on how a treatment is working.
The mobile PET/CT service allows MHP’s Imaging Center
to offer the latest in imaging technology while avoiding
costs related to new construction or implementing a new program.
The MHP Imaging Center also boasts an open MRI unit and
16-slice CT scanner. A patient at the mobile PET/CT unit
was so relaxed during the procedure that he fell asleep.
Another recent patient described the procedure as “A
good experience overall.”
During the procedure, patients are injected with a very
small amount of a substance, often a sugar, which is specially
marked with a radioactive isotope that acts as a tracer.
The PET scanner detects signals from the tracer as the glucose
travels through the body and is eventually metabolized by
various organs. A cancerous area will emit stronger signals
because cancer consumes more glucose as it grows, while damaged
heart tissue consumes little or no glucose and the lack of
metabolism will be evident on the scan.
Patients interested in a PET/CT scan must meet with their physician
for a referral. For more information, please call 231-739-3927. |
