PET-CT Integrated Unit

An integrated PET-CT scan combines the images from a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan, performed at the same time on the same machine. Together, the two scans create a more complete image than either test can offer alone.

Like the individual tests that it combines, an integrated PET-CT scan is a diagnostic examination used to detect and determine the stage (a measurement given or a diagnosis that describes the size of the original tumor and identifies whether the tumor has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body) of cancer, determine whether cancerous cells have spread, and evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatments.

The scan is also used to guide some types of biopsies (the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination to determine whether cancer is present).