The purpose and risks of Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

Hi Bee,

You need to ask your husband the exact reason for the test, we can only speculate.  I will tell you that the vast majority of PET scans are used to determine if cancer has metastasized to other locations in the body.

Basically in a PET scan a tracer agent is introduced into the patient and they are monitored by a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner.

As with any test there are risks, primarily in that he has an allergic reaction to the agents. 

Hope it helps.  Good luck.

Hey Medic Dan,

I appreciate your help, but if I could ask my husband all this stuff, why would I ask about it here?

The point is that my husband won't talk to me about his health because he doesn't want me to be scared, and I'm a person that easily starts to panic. He wasn't even intending to tell me about this positron emission tomography scan, it just slipped him, I saw it on his face, he wasn't planning to tell me that he went to see his doctor either. So please help me out here and give me some more info.

Hey Bee,

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an imaging test that helps reveal how your tissues and organs are functioning. A PET scan uses a radioactive drug (tracer) to show this activity. 

The tracer may be injected, swallowed or inhaled, depending on which organ or tissue is being studied by the PET scan. The tracer collects in areas of your body that have higher levels of chemical activity, which often correspond to areas of disease. On a PET scan, these areas show up as bright spots.

A PET scan is useful in revealing or evaluating several conditions, including some cancers, heart disease and brain disorders.

Hey Bee,

First of all, your husband is probably fine, otherwise you would have noticed some symptoms because of which he would have to do this positron emission tomography scan. 

When it comes to risks, he only has one risk, and that is that the tracer might cause a major allergic reaction, which happens in rare instances. There are a few more risks connected to this procedure but these regard pregnant ladies and children. 

My advice would be to try and talk to your husband about this, he can't be so closed when it comes to his health, that is just not right.

It's no use, I tried to talk to him a few times before in the past, but it didn't work out well. You see, I panic a lot and I am really boring and annoying in these cases. So he might have made a good choice by deciding not to tell me anything. But it is killing me that I don't know anything, it's a double edged sword.

At least you told me that it is probably nothing, and I will be able to see on the look on his face if it is anything serious, I hope you guys are right.

 

Hello everyone. A positron emission tomography (shortly PET) scan is an imaging test that allows your doctor to check for diseases in your body. It is very helpful, true and recommended for everyone who is sick. This scan uses a special dye that has radioactive tracers and usually these tracers are injected into a vein in your arm. Your organs and tissues then absorb the tracer. This is used to help your doctor to see is your heart tissue working properly. I believe that this is the main purpose of it. I hope that he did this test and that everything is OK. 

Hey there. Look Bee, I had the same situation like your hubby. I know what he is going trough now but trust me, if there is any reason to suspect that something is wrong, he should do this test. Of course, he needs to consult the doctor about it before he make his next step. anyway, I had this test and it really helped me. I had damaged heart tissue (doctors believe that I had heart attack that was silent) and this test helped me to find out this. So now I recommend everyone to do it.

Hello everyone. I had this PET scan five months ago. I can tell you that this is not that big deal at all. I was scared as well about this when my doctor told me that I need to have this scan. I am really scared of closed spaces and rooms and I was so scared that I am going to have some attack. But thx God nothing like that has happened. I was really good and the scan test results were really good. So, if your doctor told you to do it there is a reason for it. Do it and don't be scared. Trust me I know what am I telling you. Good luck.

Hey this is actually a thyroid test, right? I am pretty sure that it is and I do know that a thyroid scan is a specialized imaging procedure. Now this is a scan is used with nuclear medicine to evaluate the way your thyroid functions and to determine what is wrong with it. Your thyroid is the gland that controls your metabolism. It’s located in the front part of your neck. Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose disease. But because it is a radioactive I am against it and I think that this is the worst risk that can happen.

Good day everyone. Well, there are so many reasons why your doctor can order PET scan.  For example, your doctor may order a PET scan to inspect the blood flow, oxygen intake, and metabolism of your organs and tissues. PET scans are most commonly used to detect a various problems such as heart problems, cancer, problems with central nervous system, cancer, etc. A PET scans show problems at the cellular level. This gives your doctor the best view of complex systemic diseases, such as:

• coronary artery disease
• brain tumors
• memory disorders
• seizures

That is the main purpose of it. Good luck!