PET/CT Services
Holy Name's combination Discovery LS PET/CT scanning system provides state-of-the-art images to diagnose, stage, treat and monitor cancer. This revolutionary technology combines the capabilities of positron emission tomography (PET), which reveals the biochemical processes under way in an organ, with computed tomography (CT), which displays the anatomical structure. PET/CT scanning helps physicians assess tumors of the brain, lung, colon, breast, head and neck and esophagus and melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers. The PET/CT system assists radiation oncologists at The Regional Cancer Center in treating cancerous tumors more precisely, working with the Medical Center's GE Varian treatment planning and delivery system. Not only does the PET/CT scanning system provide increased accuracy but it also helps determine in mid-course whether treatment is working and if any adjustment is necessary, increasing the patient's chances for treatment success and improving quality of life.
Whole Body Oncology PET Imaging
Whole body PET/CT scanning vastly improves identification and staging of tumors with pinpoint determination of location. And by targeting a tumor so precisely, it allows the greatest dose of radiation possible to the smallest volume of tissue. It may also make some biopsies and surgeries unnecessary. Integrated PET/CT provides accurate tumor detection and localization for a variety of cancers, including:
- Brain
- Breast
- Cervical
- Colorectal
- Esophageal
- Gastric
- Head and Neck
- Lung
- Lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Ovarian
- Pancreatic
- Renal
(4D) PET/CT Respiratory Gating Treatment
Holy Name Medical Center is one of only a handful of Medical Centers in the world to offer cancer patients the benefits of Respiratory Gating. The PET/CT team at Holy Name uses (4D) PET/CT and IMRT (IntensityModulated Radiation Therapy) to treat patients with significant tumor movement. The simple act of breathing significantly impacts the way lung cancers and upper abdominal malignancies are treated. As the lungs expand and contract while inhaling and exhaling, lung tumors move and even change shape, making precise targeting of radiation beams difficult.
Holy Name offers Amyvid PET Scan, a non-invasive neurological test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The Amyvid PET Scan helps identify the presence of plaque in the brain, a symptom found in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Neurological Discorders
PET Brain Imaging
FDG-PET Brain imaging can detect functional abnormalities of the brain that would otherwise go undetected by conventional imaging. A PET scan of the brain can offer the following benefits:
For tumors at diagnosis
- Determine if tumor is malignant or benign
- Determine the degree of malignancy
- Provide guidance for biopsy
- Assess prognosis
For tumors after therapy
- Assess tumor persistence after surgery
- Monitor the response to therapy
- Differentiate recurrence from necrosis
FDG-PET brain imaging can also:
- Differentiate between Alzheimer's disease, depression, dementia and other neurological disorders
- Localize the site of seizure occurrence in the brain
- Assesses whether muscle tremors are associated with Parkinson's disease or other movement disorders
- Determine if brain tumors are malignant or benign
- Help neurosurgeons map the brain areas responsible for movement, speech and other functions
Cardiac PET/CT Imaging
Holy Name is one of only a few Medical Centers in the world to offer cardiac PET/CT stress testing, which provides improved accuracy in patients unable to exercise on a treadmill or whose physical characteristics would produce a suboptimal result with other methods of nuclear stress testing. Patients are exposed to less radiation than current with nuclear stress testing, and benefit from significantly reduced testing time. Holy Name uses cardiac PET/CT stress testing to identify patients at high risk for coronary artery disease and those who would benefit from intervention such as cardiac catheterization, angioplasty or surgery.
Cardiac PET/CT scanning is one of the most accurate diagnostic tests for the detection of coronary artery disease and assessment of blood flow to the heart. It is also the gold standard for determining viability of heart tissue for revascularization. The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac PET is significantly higher in women when compared to current nuclear stress testing.
