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DOTA PET Scan: Ga-68 DOTATATE for Neuroendocrin...
A "DOTA PET scan" refers to PET imaging with a Gallium-68 labeled DOTA peptide (most commonly Ga-68 DOTATATE, also known under the brand name NETSPOT). It is a specialized scan...
DOTA PET Scan: Ga-68 DOTATATE for Neuroendocrin...
A "DOTA PET scan" refers to PET imaging with a Gallium-68 labeled DOTA peptide (most commonly Ga-68 DOTATATE, also known under the brand name NETSPOT). It is a specialized scan...
Lung Cancer MRI: When It's Used and What It Shows
CT and PET-CT are the workhorse imaging tests for lung cancer. MRI is the secondary option, used for specific questions that the other modalities cannot fully answer. International patients sometimes...
Lung Cancer MRI: When It's Used and What It Shows
CT and PET-CT are the workhorse imaging tests for lung cancer. MRI is the secondary option, used for specific questions that the other modalities cannot fully answer. International patients sometimes...
Lung Cancer Hospital: How to Choose the Right C...
The choice of a lung cancer hospital matters more than almost any other decision a newly diagnosed patient makes. Outcomes for the same disease can differ substantially between a high-volume...
Lung Cancer Hospital: How to Choose the Right C...
The choice of a lung cancer hospital matters more than almost any other decision a newly diagnosed patient makes. Outcomes for the same disease can differ substantially between a high-volume...
A PET Scan Is Used to Detect What? A Patient's ...
A PET scan is used to detect diseases at the metabolic level, before they have produced obvious anatomic damage. By tracking how tissues consume a radioactive tracer, the scan reveals...
A PET Scan Is Used to Detect What? A Patient's ...
A PET scan is used to detect diseases at the metabolic level, before they have produced obvious anatomic damage. By tracking how tissues consume a radioactive tracer, the scan reveals...
Stress PET Scan: How Cardiac Stress PET Evaluat...
A stress PET scan, also called cardiac PET or myocardial perfusion PET, is one of the most accurate noninvasive tests for coronary artery disease. It combines a pharmacologic stress test...
Stress PET Scan: How Cardiac Stress PET Evaluat...
A stress PET scan, also called cardiac PET or myocardial perfusion PET, is one of the most accurate noninvasive tests for coronary artery disease. It combines a pharmacologic stress test...
Myeloma PET Scan: When and How It's Used in Mul...
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that affects bones and bone marrow throughout the body. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis, response assessment, and surveillance. PET-CT has...
Myeloma PET Scan: When and How It's Used in Mul...
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that affects bones and bone marrow throughout the body. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis, response assessment, and surveillance. PET-CT has...
Stage 3 Lung Cancer and COPD Life Expectancy: W...
A diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer is difficult on its own. When the patient also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, both conditions interact in ways that affect...
Stage 3 Lung Cancer and COPD Life Expectancy: W...
A diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer is difficult on its own. When the patient also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, both conditions interact in ways that affect...
Choosing a Lung Cancer Center: What to Look For
For newly diagnosed lung cancer, choosing the right cancer center significantly affects outcomes. High-volume centers with multidisciplinary teams produce better survival than community hospitals. This light guide identifies the quality...
Choosing a Lung Cancer Center: What to Look For
For newly diagnosed lung cancer, choosing the right cancer center significantly affects outcomes. High-volume centers with multidisciplinary teams produce better survival than community hospitals. This light guide identifies the quality...
Spot on Lung CT: Nodule Detection and What's Next
A "spot on the lung" found on an X-ray or CT scan is one of the most common incidental imaging findings — appearing on roughly 30% of chest CTs. Most...
Spot on Lung CT: Nodule Detection and What's Next
A "spot on the lung" found on an X-ray or CT scan is one of the most common incidental imaging findings — appearing on roughly 30% of chest CTs. Most...
Risk of Lung Cancer: Major and Minor Risk Factors
Lung cancer risk varies dramatically by exposure. A heavy smoker has 15-20x the lifetime risk of a never-smoker. A non-smoker with strong family history has 2-3x baseline risk. This light...
Risk of Lung Cancer: Major and Minor Risk Factors
Lung cancer risk varies dramatically by exposure. A heavy smoker has 15-20x the lifetime risk of a never-smoker. A non-smoker with strong family history has 2-3x baseline risk. This light...
PET Scan Radiology: Understanding the Report
The radiology report from a PET-CT can feel intimidating to read. Phrases like "no abnormal FDG uptake" or "indeterminate finding" mean specific things to a radiologist, but their meaning is...
PET Scan Radiology: Understanding the Report
The radiology report from a PET-CT can feel intimidating to read. Phrases like "no abnormal FDG uptake" or "indeterminate finding" mean specific things to a radiologist, but their meaning is...
About Lung Cancer: A Patient Overview of Types,...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but it is also one of the most actively researched diseases in oncology. New targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and screening programs...
About Lung Cancer: A Patient Overview of Types,...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but it is also one of the most actively researched diseases in oncology. New targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and screening programs...
Whole-Body PET Scan: When It's Warranted and Wh...
Whole-body PET-CT is sometimes marketed to healthy adults as a "comprehensive cancer screen." The clinical reality is narrower. Oncologists order whole-body PET-CT for specific indications: cancer staging, response assessment, recurrence...
Whole-Body PET Scan: When It's Warranted and Wh...
Whole-body PET-CT is sometimes marketed to healthy adults as a "comprehensive cancer screen." The clinical reality is narrower. Oncologists order whole-body PET-CT for specific indications: cancer staging, response assessment, recurrence...
Liquid Biopsy vs Traditional Tumor Markers for ...
Blood tests for lung cancer split into two technological generations. Traditional tumor markers (CEA, CYFRA 21-1, SCC, NSE) — proteins released by cancer cells — have been clinical tools for...
Liquid Biopsy vs Traditional Tumor Markers for ...
Blood tests for lung cancer split into two technological generations. Traditional tumor markers (CEA, CYFRA 21-1, SCC, NSE) — proteins released by cancer cells — have been clinical tools for...
Pulmonologist vs Thoracic Oncologist vs Thoraci...
A patient with a new lung problem often arrives at the specialist door without knowing which door. Pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, thoracic oncologists (medical oncologists specializing in lung cancer), and radiation...
Pulmonologist vs Thoracic Oncologist vs Thoraci...
A patient with a new lung problem often arrives at the specialist door without knowing which door. Pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, thoracic oncologists (medical oncologists specializing in lung cancer), and radiation...
PSMA Biology Explained: Why PSMA Isn't the Answ...
PSMA PET has transformed prostate cancer imaging since 2020. But the technology has limits that aren't well-communicated to patients. About 5–10% of prostate cancers are PSMA-low or PSMA-negative, and these...
PSMA Biology Explained: Why PSMA Isn't the Answ...
PSMA PET has transformed prostate cancer imaging since 2020. But the technology has limits that aren't well-communicated to patients. About 5–10% of prostate cancers are PSMA-low or PSMA-negative, and these...
Cancers PET-CT Detects Best vs Misses: Sensitiv...
PET-CT with F-18 FDG is the most ordered cancer imaging test worldwide. It is also one of the most over-ordered when the wrong tracer is chosen. Cancer types differ enormously...
Cancers PET-CT Detects Best vs Misses: Sensitiv...
PET-CT with F-18 FDG is the most ordered cancer imaging test worldwide. It is also one of the most over-ordered when the wrong tracer is chosen. Cancer types differ enormously...
Lung Function Tests vs Imaging: When You Need W...
A doctor evaluating breathing symptoms reaches for either lung function tests or lung imaging — sometimes both, often one before the other. The two answer fundamentally different questions. Lung function...
Lung Function Tests vs Imaging: When You Need W...
A doctor evaluating breathing symptoms reaches for either lung function tests or lung imaging — sometimes both, often one before the other. The two answer fundamentally different questions. Lung function...
Lung Cancer Diagnostic Workup A-to-Z: Tests You...
From the first hint of a problem (a symptom, an incidental finding, or an abnormal screen) to a treatment-ready diagnosis takes a defined sequence of tests. Knowing the steps in...
Lung Cancer Diagnostic Workup A-to-Z: Tests You...
From the first hint of a problem (a symptom, an incidental finding, or an abnormal screen) to a treatment-ready diagnosis takes a defined sequence of tests. Knowing the steps in...
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule on PET: Workup and De...
A "solitary pulmonary nodule" on a chest CT is one of the most common incidental imaging findings — appearing on roughly 30% of CT scans done for any reason. Most...
Solitary Pulmonary Nodule on PET: Workup and De...
A "solitary pulmonary nodule" on a chest CT is one of the most common incidental imaging findings — appearing on roughly 30% of CT scans done for any reason. Most...
PET Radioactive Tracers: A Patient's List of Co...
PET imaging is no longer a one-size-fits-all modality. The right tracer for the clinical question can substantially affect what the scan finds. This guide catalogs the most common PET tracers,...
PET Radioactive Tracers: A Patient's List of Co...
PET imaging is no longer a one-size-fits-all modality. The right tracer for the clinical question can substantially affect what the scan finds. This guide catalogs the most common PET tracers,...
PET as Nuclear Medicine: Why Radioactive Tracer...
PET is classified as nuclear medicine, distinct from radiology even though the two are often performed in the same imaging department. The distinction matters because the technology, the safety profile,...
PET as Nuclear Medicine: Why Radioactive Tracer...
PET is classified as nuclear medicine, distinct from radiology even though the two are often performed in the same imaging department. The distinction matters because the technology, the safety profile,...
What a Normal Lung PET Scan Looks Like: A Patie...
A patient looking at their lung PET-CT report may see the word "unremarkable" or "no abnormal FDG uptake" and not know whether to be reassured. This guide walks through what...
What a Normal Lung PET Scan Looks Like: A Patie...
A patient looking at their lung PET-CT report may see the word "unremarkable" or "no abnormal FDG uptake" and not know whether to be reassured. This guide walks through what...
Bone PET vs Bone Scintigraphy: When Each Is Used
For decades, bone scintigraphy with Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (the standard "bone scan") was the workhorse for detecting bone metastases. PET-based bone imaging (Na-F PET or FDG PET) has emerged as...
Bone PET vs Bone Scintigraphy: When Each Is Used
For decades, bone scintigraphy with Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (the standard "bone scan") was the workhorse for detecting bone metastases. PET-based bone imaging (Na-F PET or FDG PET) has emerged as...
Lung Cancer Incidence by Age and Sex: Risk Curv...
Lung cancer risk is sharply age-dependent. A 70-year-old smoker has roughly 8–10× the risk of a 50-year-old smoker. A 30-year-old non-smoker has lung cancer risk well below 1 in 10,000...
Lung Cancer Incidence by Age and Sex: Risk Curv...
Lung cancer risk is sharply age-dependent. A 70-year-old smoker has roughly 8–10× the risk of a 50-year-old smoker. A 30-year-old non-smoker has lung cancer risk well below 1 in 10,000...
Pulmonary Sarcoidosis on PET-CT: Interpretation...
Pulmonary sarcoidosis is a granulomatous lung disease that often shows up on PET-CT looking remarkably like Hodgkin lymphoma. Bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy with intense FDG uptake — the same...
Pulmonary Sarcoidosis on PET-CT: Interpretation...
Pulmonary sarcoidosis is a granulomatous lung disease that often shows up on PET-CT looking remarkably like Hodgkin lymphoma. Bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy with intense FDG uptake — the same...
PET Scan False Positives: Common Causes and Fol...
A "PET-positive" finding does not always mean cancer. Approximately 15–25% of FDG PET-CT scans show some uptake that turns out to be benign — inflammation, infection, post-treatment changes, or normal...
PET Scan False Positives: Common Causes and Fol...
A "PET-positive" finding does not always mean cancer. Approximately 15–25% of FDG PET-CT scans show some uptake that turns out to be benign — inflammation, infection, post-treatment changes, or normal...
PET Tracer 'Dye' Explained: Not Actually a Dye
Patients often arrive for their PET scan asking about "the dye." The word reflects familiarity with iodine contrast used in CT scans. But what's injected for PET-CT is not a...
PET Tracer 'Dye' Explained: Not Actually a Dye
Patients often arrive for their PET scan asking about "the dye." The word reflects familiarity with iodine contrast used in CT scans. But what's injected for PET-CT is not a...
Cardiac Sarcoidosis PET Fasting Protocol and Di...
Cardiac sarcoidosis PET-CT is one of the few imaging studies with elaborate dietary prep — failing the prep means the scan can be uninterpretable. The 24-hour high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet shifts...
Cardiac Sarcoidosis PET Fasting Protocol and Di...
Cardiac sarcoidosis PET-CT is one of the few imaging studies with elaborate dietary prep — failing the prep means the scan can be uninterpretable. The 24-hour high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet shifts...
After Your PET Scan: Radiation Precautions for ...
A patient leaving the PET imaging suite is briefly "radioactive" — the F-18 FDG tracer remains in tissues and is gradually excreted over the next several hours. The radiation level...
After Your PET Scan: Radiation Precautions for ...
A patient leaving the PET imaging suite is briefly "radioactive" — the F-18 FDG tracer remains in tissues and is gradually excreted over the next several hours. The radiation level...
PET-CT with Contrast: When Iodine Contrast Is A...
A standard PET-CT consists of a PET (using FDG tracer) plus a CT for anatomical correlation. The CT portion can be either a low-dose non-contrast scan (most common) or a...
PET-CT with Contrast: When Iodine Contrast Is A...
A standard PET-CT consists of a PET (using FDG tracer) plus a CT for anatomical correlation. The CT portion can be either a low-dose non-contrast scan (most common) or a...
Choline PET Scan for Prostate Cancer Recurrence...
Choline PET-CT was the imaging workhorse for prostate cancer recurrence for about a decade — from the early 2000s until PSMA PET emerged in the late 2010s. Choline retains a...
Choline PET Scan for Prostate Cancer Recurrence...
Choline PET-CT was the imaging workhorse for prostate cancer recurrence for about a decade — from the early 2000s until PSMA PET emerged in the late 2010s. Choline retains a...
Mobile PET-CT Scanners: How They Work, Where Th...
If your nearest cancer center does not own a PET-CT, a mobile PET-CT scanner may roll into the parking lot once a week or month to do the work instead....
Mobile PET-CT Scanners: How They Work, Where Th...
If your nearest cancer center does not own a PET-CT, a mobile PET-CT scanner may roll into the parking lot once a week or month to do the work instead....
Lung Cancer Check-Ups: LDCT vs CT vs X-Ray vs B...
If you ask a general practitioner for "a lung cancer check," you might walk out with a chest X-ray, a low-dose CT, a contrast CT, a panel of blood tumor...
Lung Cancer Check-Ups: LDCT vs CT vs X-Ray vs B...
If you ask a general practitioner for "a lung cancer check," you might walk out with a chest X-ray, a low-dose CT, a contrast CT, a panel of blood tumor...
Signs of Early-Stage Lung Cancer (And What Test...
Most people who get lung cancer find out late — about 60% of cases are already at stage III or IV at diagnosis. The reason is simple: early lung cancer...
Signs of Early-Stage Lung Cancer (And What Test...
Most people who get lung cancer find out late — about 60% of cases are already at stage III or IV at diagnosis. The reason is simple: early lung cancer...
PET-CT Examination: Patient Walkthrough
A first PET-CT examination is unfamiliar to most patients. The combination of IV injection, one-hour waiting period, and unusual scanner can feel intimidating without a clear preview. This light guide...
PET-CT Examination: Patient Walkthrough
A first PET-CT examination is unfamiliar to most patients. The combination of IV injection, one-hour waiting period, and unusual scanner can feel intimidating without a clear preview. This light guide...
Positron Electron Tomography: What It Is and Ho...
Patients searching for "positron electron tomography" almost always mean positron emission tomography, the imaging technique more commonly called PET or PET-CT. The "electron" part of the search reflects the underlying...
Positron Electron Tomography: What It Is and Ho...
Patients searching for "positron electron tomography" almost always mean positron emission tomography, the imaging technique more commonly called PET or PET-CT. The "electron" part of the search reflects the underlying...
PET Emission Tomography: A Patient's Guide to P...
Positron emission tomography, often shortened to PET emission tomography or simply PET, is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that visualizes how tissues use sugar, oxygen, or specific tracer molecules. Unlike...
PET Emission Tomography: A Patient's Guide to P...
Positron emission tomography, often shortened to PET emission tomography or simply PET, is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that visualizes how tissues use sugar, oxygen, or specific tracer molecules. Unlike...
DOTATATE vs Octreotide Scan: Which PET Imaging ...
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a heterogeneous group of cancers arising from hormone-producing cells in the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, lung, thyroid, and elsewhere. Most NETs express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), particularly subtype...
DOTATATE vs Octreotide Scan: Which PET Imaging ...
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a heterogeneous group of cancers arising from hormone-producing cells in the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, lung, thyroid, and elsewhere. Most NETs express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), particularly subtype...
Chest X-Ray Lung Cancer Detection Rate: What 80...
The chest X-ray is the oldest, cheapest, and most widely available imaging test in modern medicine. Roughly 125 million chest radiographs are performed worldwide every year, and a large share...
Chest X-Ray Lung Cancer Detection Rate: What 80...
The chest X-ray is the oldest, cheapest, and most widely available imaging test in modern medicine. Roughly 125 million chest radiographs are performed worldwide every year, and a large share...
PSMA Imaging for Prostate Cancer: PET vs SPECT ...
"PSMA imaging" is an umbrella term covering several imaging techniques that target prostate-specific membrane antigen. Most patients hear about PSMA PET-CT — the most common form — but PSMA SPECT,...
PSMA Imaging for Prostate Cancer: PET vs SPECT ...
"PSMA imaging" is an umbrella term covering several imaging techniques that target prostate-specific membrane antigen. Most patients hear about PSMA PET-CT — the most common form — but PSMA SPECT,...
Lung Nodules: What They Mean and When to Worry
Most lung nodules are not cancer. That is the most important sentence in this guide, and the one most patients need to hear when a radiologist's report comes back with...
Lung Nodules: What They Mean and When to Worry
Most lung nodules are not cancer. That is the most important sentence in this guide, and the one most patients need to hear when a radiologist's report comes back with...
Blood Tests for Lung Cancer: Liquid Biopsy, Tum...
"Can I just get a blood test for lung cancer?" is one of the most common questions we get. The appeal is obvious: a tube of blood is cheap, painless,...
Blood Tests for Lung Cancer: Liquid Biopsy, Tum...
"Can I just get a blood test for lung cancer?" is one of the most common questions we get. The appeal is obvious: a tube of blood is cheap, painless,...
Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers: Why It Happens and ...
The public message about lung cancer has been simple for 60 years: don't smoke. That message has worked — smoking rates have fallen — and yet a stubborn fraction of...
Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers: Why It Happens and ...
The public message about lung cancer has been simple for 60 years: don't smoke. That message has worked — smoking rates have fallen — and yet a stubborn fraction of...
USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines: Are Yo...
The most important question in lung cancer prevention is not "what scan should I get?" but "am I in the group where screening saves lives?" In the United States, the...
USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines: Are Yo...
The most important question in lung cancer prevention is not "what scan should I get?" but "am I in the group where screening saves lives?" In the United States, the...
Chest X-Ray for Lung Cancer: What It Can (and C...
If your annual physical includes a chest x ray for lung cancer concerns, you might think you have lung cancer covered. You don't. A chest X-ray is one of the...
Chest X-Ray for Lung Cancer: What It Can (and C...
If your annual physical includes a chest x ray for lung cancer concerns, you might think you have lung cancer covered. You don't. A chest X-ray is one of the...
CT Scan for Lung Cancer: When You Need One, Wha...
If your doctor has ordered a CT scan for lung cancer, you probably have a question that an X-ray could not fully answer. Maybe the chest X-ray showed a shadow...
CT Scan for Lung Cancer: When You Need One, Wha...
If your doctor has ordered a CT scan for lung cancer, you probably have a question that an X-ray could not fully answer. Maybe the chest X-ray showed a shadow...
Medical PET Scan: A Patient's Guide to How It W...
A medical PET scan, more accurately PET-CT, is one of the most powerful tools in modern diagnostic imaging. Unlike CT or MRI, which show anatomy, PET shows function. It reveals...
Medical PET Scan: A Patient's Guide to How It W...
A medical PET scan, more accurately PET-CT, is one of the most powerful tools in modern diagnostic imaging. Unlike CT or MRI, which show anatomy, PET shows function. It reveals...
PET-CT for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Staging and Re...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is one of the cancers where PET-CT has fundamentally changed care. For most FDG-avid subtypes, PET-CT is now standard at three points: initial staging, interim treatment response,...
PET-CT for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Staging and Re...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is one of the cancers where PET-CT has fundamentally changed care. For most FDG-avid subtypes, PET-CT is now standard at three points: initial staging, interim treatment response,...
Brain PET Scan for Dementia, Tumors, and Epilep...
Brain PET imaging covers three clinical worlds that share little except the technology: distinguishing dementia subtypes, evaluating brain tumors after treatment, and localizing the focus of drug-resistant epilepsy. Each uses...
Brain PET Scan for Dementia, Tumors, and Epilep...
Brain PET imaging covers three clinical worlds that share little except the technology: distinguishing dementia subtypes, evaluating brain tumors after treatment, and localizing the focus of drug-resistant epilepsy. Each uses...