A powerful diagnosis for effective treatment

There is a lot more to a fire place than appearance

THE IMPORTANCE OF PET-CT IN ONCOLOGY

Positron Emission Tomography, more commonly known as PET-CT, is a fundamental investigation in oncology patients, providing valuable information on disease behaviour and serving as a guide for medical specialists to plan the most e ective treatment for each patient. Dr. Luis Villar, Nuclear Medicine Specialist and the person in charge of HC Marbella’s PET/CT Unit explains what a PET-CT is and its signi cance in oncology.

PET-CT is a nuclear medicine investigation which encompasses two tests: one morphological and the other metabolic.

PET provides metabolic information following the injection of a radiopharmaceutical which is then metabolised in the patient’s body, being deposited in those areas where disease exists.

Nowadays this technique is indicated for virtually every type of tumour. It facilitates a more accurate diagnosis with more appropriate staging, enabling the best treatment possible to be planned for each patient. Following treatment, enables evaluation of treatment response, whether this is surgery, radiotherapy or systemic treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted therapy) as well as monitoring the progress of the patient’s condition. is advance in technology has a positive impact on the patient, it enables us to be increasingly precise with both diagnosis and treatment, leading to improved prognosis and a better quality of life.

Recently, the HC Marbella's Diagnostic Imaging Unit has acquired a new PET-CT scanner, with the ability to detect lesions which are 36% smaller, facilitating early diagnosis of oncological disease with a signi cant impact on the patient’s prognosis and survival. In lung cancer it allows detection of the disease even when the nodules are so small that they cannot be biopsied, enabling a highly e ective, precise diagnosis when pulmonary micronodules are detected, this prevents up to 43% of unnecessary lung biopsies. PET-CT is a painless, e ective and safe diagnostic technique. New equipment achieves higher quality imaging with minimal radiation doses. Scanners are designed to minimise the patient's feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia, with a more open design and increasingly shorter scanning times. An essential investigation for accurate diagnosis and precise treatment in every patient.