Technology used to detect cancer, other diseases sooner
MARINETTE — Bellin Health Marinette has introduced a new, state-of-the-art detection and diagnostic service to patients and physicians in Northeast Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, in conjunction with Shared Medical Services of Cottage Grove, Wis.
The mobile PET-CT system began serving patients earlier this month and is now being used to help diagnose cancer and other diseases at Bellin Health Marinette. The scanner is a one-two punch of technology that provides great sensitivity in detecting and locating abnormalities in tissue throughout the body. PET-CT scans are available every other Monday afternoon at the Marinette clinic.
PET, or positron emission tomography, uses radioactive glucose to image the body’s metabolism at the cellular level, mapping the chemical functioning of organs or tissue. Since cancer cells use more glucose than other cells in the body, PET can reveal the presence of cancerous tumors and provide key information about whether cancer has spread, a key component of cancer treatment.
PET also is used to diagnose heart disease and brain disorders, like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. CT, or computed tomography, is used to image a patient’s anatomy and can reveal abnormalities. Used together in one machine, PET-CT combines PET’s early detection of disease with the precise internal organ visualization of CT. The PET-CT procedure is painless and noninvasive and usually takes about half an hour.