What is PET scanning?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive, nuclear medicine technique that involves tracing slightly radioactive glucose (the sugar that cells use as food) as it is absorbed by cells. Cancer cells absorb glucose at much higher rates than do other cells, and put out a higher signal (show up brighter) on PET scans than do normal cells. PET scans are a good way of determining whether cancer cells have spread beyond the primary tumor site, because they can show up clearly as points of light elsewhere in the body.
