Positron Emission Tomography, or PET, is a new
technique for imaging tissues of the body. Unlike the CAT scan
and the MRI, PET visualizes tissues that are actively metabolic,
such as growing malignant tissues. PET scanning has therefore
proven valuable in evaluating disturbances in the normal body
anatomy (masses or lumps in the extremities, muscles, chest or
abdomen) to help assess whether they are benign or malignant.
It is of particular value in detecting local recurrences or tumor
after surgical removal. It is also increasingly used, on an experimental
basis to rapidly determine whether chemotherapy can inhibit metabolism
and growth of sarcomas. The Kreitchman PET center facility at
New York Presbyterian Hospital is well-equipped for these investigations,
which have been incorporated into several of the clinical trials
now underway for
Sarcoma, and
Mesothelioma.
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