Dr. César Borri Solá, a specialist in nuclear medicine at Hospital Pavia Caguas, explains the role of PET/CT in detecting diseases at early stages and evaluating treatment effectiveness. PET/CT is a hybrid medical imaging test that combines positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) to provide detailed images of both body structure and function.
The PET scan uses a radioactive substance, or radiofármaco, such as fluorodesoxiglucosa (FDG), which accumulates in areas with high metabolic activity, like cancer cells. By detecting the radiation emitted by the radiofármaco, the PET scan creates 3D images of areas with high activity. The CT scan uses X-rays to create detailed images of internal body structures.
Combining PET and CT images gives doctors a more complete and accurate view of what's happening inside the body. The PET/CT has a wide range of applications, primarily in detecting cancer at early stages, determining cancer stage, and evaluating treatment effectiveness.