Читать книгу Overcome the Challenges of Cancer Care - M. D. Rosenberg - Страница 20

The type of scan depends on the part of the body we want to look at. It also depends on the type of cancer. The most commonly ordered scans include CT scans (also known as CAT scans), MRI scans, bone scans, and PET/CT scans.

CT scans are helpful for seeing the details of organs, lymph nodes, and other parts of the body very clearly. These scans are fast and are often easy for patients to tolerate. CT scans use X-rays to look inside the body.

An MRI uses magnetic fields to help us peer inside a person. MRIs are best at looking at soft tissues—like the normal folds of the brain or the soft tissue of the arm or leg. Downsides of an MRI include time and patient comfort. These scans can take anywhere from a half hour to more than an hour. The patients are put into small tubes, and some people describe them as claustrophobic and loud.

Nuclear-medicine tests use a radioactive substance or material, called a tracer, that is placed in the body. If an area of the body takes up too much or too little tracer, it may imply there’s a cancer or other problem. Common nuclear-medicine tests include bone scans and PET/CT scans.

The use of PET/CT is common across a variety of cancers. Notice the name PET/CT. When you get a PET scan, you also get a CT scan—two for one!