Nuclear Medicine provides doctors with information about both structure and function by using safe and painless techniques to image the body and treat disease. It is a superior way to gather medical information that would otherwise be unavailable or require surgery.

Princeton Radiology’s new Nuclear Imaging Suite now offers two of the most advanced nuclear imaging modalities for the early detection of disease: PET/CT and SPECT/CT. Our PET/CT scanner replaces the original PET scanner in our Jamesburg Office.


PET/CT

PET/CT is a state-of-the-art technique that combines Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with Computed Tomography (CT) to image tissue and organ function. Our GE scanner is the most advanced and accurate PET/CT scanner available anywhere. This scan is designed to accurately identify even small areas of abnormal metabolic activity, which are associated with several disease processes. PET/CT’s major clinical impact to date is in cancer diagnosis and staging; however, PET/CT is also a useful modality for imaging the heart and brain. PET/CT can show more than just where tumors are located. PET/CT can reveal whether lesions are benign or malignant and can assess the effectiveness of treatment, whether surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

When you arrive at Princeton Radiology’s Nuclear Imaging Suite, a technologist will discuss the PET/CT procedure with you and ask if you have any questions. When you are ready for your PET/CT scan, you will have your blood sugar tested. Next, most patients will receive an oral contrast (barium drink). An IV will then be started, and you will receive an injection of a small amount of safe, radioactive sugar. You will not experience any side effects from this material. You will then be asked to wait very quietly in a seated area. Any activity, even talking or gum chewing, may affect the results of your test. Prior to the scan, you will be asked to empty your bladder.

You will lie on a bed that passes slowly through the scanner. For scanning purposes, it is important that you lie quietly and remain still on the bed during your scan. The length of time between scans can vary depending on the body areas being studied, typically between 30 to 60 minutes. You should plan to spend approximately three hours total time at the Nuclear Imaging Suite for the entire PET/CT procedure.


SPECT/CT – Coming February 2008

SPECT/CT is an advanced medical imaging technology that combines Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with Computed Tomography (CT) to enable physicians to detect heart disease, cancer and other diseases earlier and target treatments with greater precision.

SPECT, like Positron Emission Tomography (PET), is a nuclear medicine exam that allows direct visualization of tissues, tumors and organs, such as the heart. Our Siemens Symbia® TruePoint™ SPECT/CT system allows physicians to obtain more detailed information and increased image clarity in a single, non-invasive procedure than is possible through separate procedures. The system detects changes in patients’ molecular activity – before structural changes become visible – and combines this information with precise anatomical detail obtained through CT technology to pinpoint the location of abnormal tissue.

When you arrive at Princeton Radiology’s Nuclear Imaging Suite, a technologist will discuss the SPECT/CT procedure with you and ask if you have any questions. Then a small amount of radiopharmaceuticals will be introduced into your body by injection, swallowing or inhalation. The radiopharmaceuticals are attracted to specific organs, bones or tissues. The amount of radiopharmaceuticals used for your exam will be carefully determined to provide the least amount of radiation exposure and to ensure an accurate test.

The scanner then creates images of the area being examined and identifies “hot spots” that indicate the location and extent of disease, such as the increased metabolic activity characteristic of cancer. The combination of high-resolution CT through the SPECT/CT allows physicians to accurately localize these hot spots and make a definitive diagnosis.