Whereas doctors decades ago had to open the body up to physically see some conditions and diagnose them, physicians of today have a number of less invasive tools at their disposal. When there’s a need to “see” inside and a desire to avoid surgery, PET and CT scans can give doctors the information they need

While most people understand that a blood test will take only a few minutes and X-rays not much longer, having a PET scan ordered can be a little more involved. As a patient, however, there’s really no cause for alarm. This highly effective diagnostic tool enables your doctor to see inside your body more readily

It’s a simple fact that with most forms of cancer early diagnosis is critical for improving the chances of survival. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to catch this disease in its earliest stages unless doctors have a means to truly “see” inside the body. For many, that means waiting until a more invasive biopsy is indicated.

Accurate imaging is crucial for identifying and diagnosing a variety of conditions including heart disease and cancer. The positron emission tomography – PET- scan utilizes a small tracer material that is swallowed or injected – to display the inner workings of the body and allows doctors to determine the state of organ function. A computerized

If your doctor has ordered a PET scan and you’ve never had one before, chances are you have a lot of questions about what to expect. This diagnostic procedure with a funny name is no real cause for alarm, but there are a few things you might need to do to get ready. While a

When a doctor orders a PET scan it’s not at all uncommon for patients to be a little skittish. After all, this test with a funny sounding name isn’t used with as much regularity as common blood tests or X-rays. This test, however, opens the door for better cancer detection and treatment. It can, in

In the past, identifying disease typically came as a result of surgery. When certain symptoms were present in their patient, a doctor would make the call to perform exploratory surgery during which they would be able to determine if disease did in fact exist. Of course, there are always risks associated with surgery of any

When you’re not feeling good and your doctor starts ordering a bunch of tests, anxiety levels can run high. Chances are you’re not only worried about what could be causing the problem and/or the pain, but you’re also concerned about how involved and potentially painful or uncomfortable testing procedures might be. If your doctor has

When heart disease is suspected, confirming a diagnosis and moving forward with measures to slow or stop its progression can make all the difference in the world for increasing chances for longevity. While functional stress tests are the traditional method for detecting heart conditions, CT scans have proven themselves as effective, a new study reveals.

Computerized imaging in the form of CT (computerized topography) scans provides a way for medical teams to explore the inner depths of the body without having to put a patient through lengthy, painful, costly exploratory surgery. In fact, imaging has changed the way that we are able to detect and diagnose a variety of diseases.