Specialty Imaging
RMCC Specialty Imaging offers cutting-edge imaging technologies.
RMCC Specialty Imaging offers patients PET/CT scans and CT imaging at cancer centers and clinic locations throughout Colorado.
PET/CT
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) is a clinically proven imaging technique that assists in the diagnosis and management of many diseases, including cancer. PET/CT allows a physician to examine large areas of the body in a single scanning session producing images of human body functions unobtainable by other imaging techniques such as conventional X-ray, CT alone or MRI. By uncovering abnormalities that might otherwise go undetected, PET/CT guides physicians to the most appropriate course of cancer treatment.
Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.
We also provide high resolution CT imaging at many locations, and have been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Computed Tomography (CT) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.
Q: What is PET?
Q: What is PET used for?
Q: Is there anything I should do to prepare for the procedure?
Q: What happens when I arrive for my scan?
Q: How does the PET procedure work?
Q: How long does the procedure take?
Q: How accurate is a PET scan?
Q: How will I feel after the procedure?
Q: When will I know the results of my scan?
Q: Is there anything else that I should do?
Q: What is PET?
A: PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. It is a procedure that produces powerful images of the human body's biological functions. PET scans are safe and can be performed in a few hours as an outpatient procedure. Unlike conventional imaging systems such as x-rays, CTs, ultrasounds and MRIs, PET does not show body structure (anatomy). Instead, PET shows the chemical function (metabolism) of an organ or tissue.
Q: What is PET used for?
A: PET is used to help diagnose and treat a number of different diseases, including cancer, coronary heart disease and seizure disorders. In cancer applications, PET provides tumor imaging and has proven to be very accurate in identifying the extent of malignant disease.
Q: Is there anything I should do to prepare for the procedure?
A:
- Inform the physician if pregnant or nursing.
- Do not eat anything 6 hours prior to the scan. Please continue to drink water before your exam but avoid all beverages with caffeine and sugar.
- Refrain from strenuous exercise 24 hours before your appointment.
- Diabetic patients need to inform their physician of their condition. Glucose levels must be under 175 on the day of the test.
- Wear comfortable clothing.
- Take prescribed medications on the day of the test unless instructed not to do so.
- Wear hearing aids, glasses or dentures to the PET center. Please leave valuables at home.
Q: What happens when I arrive for my scan?
A: Upon arrival, the patient will be registered by our office personnel and taken to the imaging area. A technologist will then ask a series of questions regarding the patient's medical history. A small blood sample will be taken to check blood sugar (glucose) level. The technologist will then inject a small amount of radioactive glucose into the bloodstream. This glucose is called a "tracer" and will be distributed throughout the body. This injection poses no danger. Radioactive glucose must pass multiple quality control measures before it is used for any patient injection. In fact, the radiation exposure associated with PET is similar to that of a conventional CT scan.
Q: How does the PET procedure work?
A: After the injection, the patient will need to relax and remain relatively still for about an hour. Then the patient lies comfortably on a table called a scanning bed. The bed will move slowly through the scanner while it detects the injected tracer. Some people fall asleep during the scan. When the imaging procedure is complete, the scanner sends the resulting information to a computer. The computer generates numerous images that will be reviewed by a specially trained physician. The physician will receive a report and a picture detailing the findings of each patient's exam.
Q: How long does the procedure take?
A: Patients can expect to be in the imaging center for 90 minutes to three hours. The actual scan itself takes far less time and depends on the purpose and type of the study. In most cases, a body scan from the eyes to the pelvis area takes about 50 to 60 minutes. Some exams, such as brain or heart procedures, take about 30 minutes.
Q: How accurate is a PET scan?
A: PET is very accurate in showing the presence or spread of many malignant tumors. For example, it is more accurate in detecting the spread of lung cancer and colon cancer than any other imaging method currently available. A high degree of accuracy has also been demonstrated in evaluating recurrent breast cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and tumors of the head and neck.
Q: How will I feel after the procedure?
A: Patients should feel fine after the scan. There are no side effects from the injected tracer. Patients having a heart scan may feel flushed after the scan is completed.
Q: When will I know the results of my scan?
A: PET scan results are read shortly after the scan is completed. A verbal report should be available to the physician within a day of the scan.
Q: Is there anything else that I should do?
A: It is important that a patient's recent x-ray studies (such as CT or MRI scans) be available for the PET imaging doctor to compare them directly to the PET scan. A patient's primary physician or hospital may send the films and reports from these studies to the PET center or patients may be asked to bring this information with them to prevent delays in reading the PET scan.
Q. What should I know about radiation safety?
Q. Why should I have my imaging exam done at an accredited facility?
Q. What does ACR accreditation mean?
Q. What does the gold seal mean?
Q. What should I know about radiation safety?
A. Before your imaging procedure be sure to ask your physician the following questions:
- Why is the test needed?
- How will having the test improve my care?
- Are there alternatives that do not use radiation and deliver similar results?
- Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR)?
- Are pediatric and adult tests delivered using the appropriate radiation doses?
Q. Why should I have my imaging exam done at an accredited facility?
A. When you see the gold seals of accreditation prominently displayed in our imaging facility, you can be sure that you are in a facility that meets standards for imaging quality and safety. Look for the ACR Gold Seals of Accreditation.
To achieve the ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation, our facility's personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance, and quality control procedures have gone through a rigorous review process and have met specific qualifications. It's important for patients to know that every aspect of the ACR accreditation process is overseen by board-certified, expert radiologists and medical physicists in advanced diagnostic imaging.
Q. What does ACR accreditation mean?
A.
- Our facility has voluntarily gone through a vigorous review process to ensure that we meet nationally-accepted standards of care.
- Our personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to perform mdical imaging, interpret your images, and administer your radiation therapy treatments.
- Our equipment is appropriate for the test or treatment you will receive, and our facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.
Q. What does the gold seal mean?
A. When you see the ACR gold seal, you can rest assured that your prescribed imaging test will be done at a facility that has met the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety. The facility and its personnel have gone through a comprehensive review to earn accreditation status by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the largest and oldest imaging accrediting body in the U.S. and a professional organization of 34,000 physicians.
PET can be used to assist in the diagnosis and management of the following diseases according to Medicare guidelines (private payers' coverage may vary):
- Lung Cancer (solitary pulmonary nodule and non-small cell)
- Colorectal Cancer
- Melanoma
- Lymphoma
- Head and Neck Cancer (excluding central nervous system and thyroid
- Esophageal Cancer
- Refractory Seizures
- Myocardial Viability
- Breast Cancer
PET is covered in clinical situations where the results may help to avoid an invasive diagnostic procedure.
For most general solid tumors, a tissue diagnosis is made prior to the PET scan. PET scans following the tissue diagnosis are performed to determine the stage or progression of the cancer, not to diagnosis the cancer.
The use of PET in the diagnosis of melanoma, lymphoma, esophageal and colorectal cancers should be rare.
PET is NOT covered for other diagnostic uses or for the testing of patients without specific signs of a disease.
PET is covered if the stage of the cancer remains in doubt after completion of a standard diagnostic workup, including conventional imaging such as CT, MRI or ultrasound.
PET could potentially replace one or more conventional imaging studies when it is expected that the conventional study information is insufficient for the clinical management of the patient. (Clinical management of the patient differs depending on the stage of the cancer identified.)
PET is covered for testing after the completion of treatment to detect residual disease, suspected recurrence or the extent of a known recurrence.
The use of PET to monitor tumor response during the planned course of therapy when no change in therapy is being considered, is NOT covered.
PLEASE CHECK WITH A PHYSICIAN REGARDING SPECIFIC SITUATIONS, AS THE PET INDICATIONS DIFFER WITH EACH INSURANCE PLAN
RMCC participates in the National Oncologic PET Registry. This registry allows for reimbursement for certain indications not included in the above list.
- Locations
- Doctors
- Conditions