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 1.
How can I get a PET scan?
A physician must refer you for this procedure.
2.
What should I do if my physician does not know about PET?
If your physician does not know about PET, you can direct them to
www.kmcpet.org to help educate him/her about PET. You may also wish
to seek a second opinion.
3. How much does a PET
scan cost?
A Whole Body PET scan charge is comparable to the charge for a CT
scan of the same areas of the body. PET charges are routinely covered
by Medicare and commercial insurance payors if the patient meets the
diagnostic criteria. Contact your insurer directly to learn about
payment reimbursement.
4. What is PET used to diagnose?
PET is used to diagnose and stage patients with cancer, as well as
patients with certain brain and heart disorders.
In
cancer, PET can:
• distinguish benign from
malignant tumors
• stage cancer by showing metastases anywhere
in your body
• prove whether or not treatment therapies
are working
In the brain, PET can:
• positively diagnose Alzheimer's disease for early intervention
• locate tumors in the brain and distinguish tumor from
scar tissue
• locate the focus of seizures for some patients
with epilepsy
• more accurately assess tumor and other
sites in the brain for delicate surgery
In the heart,
PET can:
• quantify the extent of heart disease
• determine, after a heart attack, if the heart muscle
would benefit from surgery
PET images are different than those from more conventional imaging
equipment, such as X-ray, CT, Ultrasound, or MRI.
5. Are there alternatives to PET?
Yes and no. There are examinations that can be performed. However,
there is no other metabolic (biological) imaging technique other than
PET at this time. CT and MRI, for example, both examine the anatomical
(physical) structure. Therefore, they can be useful in determining
the size and location of a tumor; however, neither of them can determine
whether a tumor is still active.
6. Why is PET not well known? Why have I never heard of PET before?
While PET has been around for years, it has only been in the last
few years that PET has moved from the research realm to the diagnostic/clinical
sphere.
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