What is a PET/CT scan?

The power of advanced molecular imaging provided by Positron Emission Tomography (PET), combined with the detailed anatomic images provided by Computed Tomography (CT), has enhanced the diagnosing, staging and restaging of cancer patients. One of PET's most important applications today is assisting physicians in detecting cancer before structural changes become apparent through traditional imaging methods. Fused PET/CT images can be used to target radiation treatment more accurately and monitor the effects of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatment. Metabolic and anatomic whole-body staging of patients can be performed in one examination and reduce scan times, thus, increasing patient comfort. PET/CT has also played an increased role in the detection of coronary artery disease and Alzheimer's Disease. PET/CT has another advantage over CT or MRI alone, in that a PET/CT scan can examine large areas of the body in a single scanning session, producing images of body functions unavailable by other imaging techniques. Increasingly, CT and PET scanners are combined into a single machine, known as PET/CT. With this arrangement, a CT scan is obtained in the same position as the PET scan, allowing more precise matching of areas of abnormal metabolic activity to the corresponding anatomical structures.

INSIGHT IMAGING can provide PET/CT equipment and services on both a fixed-site and mobile basis to meet the customers' clinical and business needs. Our mobile PET/CT services provide hospital and physician customers with a cost-effective means of providing PET/CT services to their patients. Many healthcare providers do not have the necessary patient volume to support the purchase of a full-time dedicated PET/CT scanner. With this in mind, the INSIGHT IMAGING mobile PET/CT scanners are generally scheduled among a group of hospitals and/or physicians on a fee-for-service basis, thereby allowing our customers to provide PET/CT services at the customer's own location without the risk of starting up a new service. By contracting for mobile PET/CT services as needed, the hospital or other customer eliminates the need for any up-front capital investment and avoids purchasing equipment that may become obsolete. Once the mobile PET/CT unit is in place, INSIGHT IMAGING works closely with our customers to assist them in providing quality PET/CT services to their community.

In summary, INSIGHT IMAGING's mobile PET/CT services provide multiple benefits to hospitals and physicians, including:

access to state-of-the-art technology with no capital expenditure;
better control of patient disease management and early disease detection;
guidance from an experienced PET/CT provider for marketing, education and training;
highly-trained, certified technical staff; and
an extensive mobile service infrastructure to meet the customer's needs.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding PET/CT procedures