PET is a revolutionary diagnostic tool that, in research studies, effectively pinpoints 95 percent of all cancers, says Brad Sexauer, Vice President of Planning and Marketing at Danville Regional Health System. "The quality of these images helps surgeons know the exact locations of a tumor and helps oncologists pinpoint radiation therapy," he says.

"PET often detects tumor spread and recurrences not seen on conventional imaging studies such as CT and MRI," says Bettina Belles, M.D., Radiologist, Danville Radiologist, Inc. PET is important in this respect as it often changes patient management."

The PET scanner works by combining glucose with a radioactive substance and injecting them into the bloodstream. As the cancer cells eat the glucose, the radioactive substance can be seen as a solid image on a computer screen.

Although PET technology is not new, it recently has been approved by Medicare and most insurance companies. If cancer is suspected, most scans are covered, says Sexauer.

"Cancer is the second leading cause of death in our region. With this technology we can greatly impact the outcomes for cancer patients in the Piedmont,"

Danville Regional PET services are provided by a mobile scanner and are available every Tuesday.