INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ABOUTPET SCAN
3. PET SCANNER IMAGE
4. PET-CT AND PET-MRI IMAGES
5. HISTORY OF PET SCAN
6. VERY FIRST PET-LIKE IMAGINING
7. PET TRACER
8. HOW RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL IS
9. THE PROCESS OF PET TRACER
10. COLOUR SPECTRUM OF PET SCAN
11. APPLICATIONS OF PET SCAN
12. PATIENT PREPARATION FOR PET SCAN
13. ADVANTAGES OF PET SCAN
14. DISADVANTAGES OF PET SCAN
3.
A positron emissiontomography (PET) scan is an
imaging test that can help reveal the metabolic or
biochemical function of the body’s tissues and organs.
INTRODUCTION
4.
About PET SCAN
●It uses gamma rays to get image, not X-rays.
● The PET scan uses a radioactive drug called a tracer to show bot
typical and atypical metabolic activity.
● PET scan is used for oncology(cancer), neurology, cardiology
● PET scan doesn’t show organs shape, like CT and MRI.
● It shows how active organ is, what chemicals it is using ,how cells
are functioning basically the metabolic and biochemical functions.
● In most hospitals, PET scan is combined with CT i.e PET- CT to
show body structure and organs shape.
● In advance centres, PET- MRI is in use.
📜 History ofPET Scan
● 1896 – Discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel, which laid the foundation for nuclear
medicine.
● 1930s–1940s – Development of cyclotrons (particle accelerators) by Ernest Lawrence, allowing
production of short-lived positron-emitting isotopes.
● 1931–1934 – Carl Anderson discovered the positron (antimatter electron), key particle for PET
technology.
● 1940s–1950s – First use of radioactive tracers in humans (like radioiodine) for studying
metabolism and thyroid function.
● 1973 – First PET scanner developed by Michael Phelps, Edward Hoffman, and Michel Ter-Pogossian at
Washington University in St. Louis.
● 1974–1976 – First human PET studies conducted using [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the tracer still
widely used today.
● 1980s – PET began being applied in neurology (brain metabolism, epilepsy, dementia) and oncology (cancer
detection).
● 2000s – Introduction of PET/CT hybrid scanners, combining functional PET with anatomical CT images for
more precise diagnosis.
● 2010s – Development of PET/MRI hybrid scanners, improving soft tissue contrast with functional imaging.
8.
● 1953 –Dr. Gordon Brownell and Dr.William Aronow at
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) developed the first clinical
positron imaging device.
● This was before today’s PET scanners existed.
● Their device used the principle of detecting gamma rays produced
when positrons annihilate with electrons in the body.
●(A) Coincidence detection = the machine detected two gamma
photons emitted simultaneously at 180° when a positron annihilates.
Darker region near the top of the head indicates increased tracer
uptake.
This corresponds to recurrence of a brain tumor beneath the site of
previous surgery.
● (B) cruder technique: detectors on opposite sides of the head
compared radioactivity between left and right hemispheres.
Result shows asymmetry on the left side (dark patch).
It suggests higher activity (tumor) compared to the right side of the
brain.
Very first PET
- like imagining
9.
PETTraser
●A PET traceris a radioactive compound used in Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) to study body functions and detect diseases.
●It’s also called a radiopharmaceutical because it combines:
1) A radioactive isotope (for imaging)
Radionuclide (radioactive part): Emits positrons detected by the PET scanner.
Common examples: Fluorine-18 (¹ F), Carbon-11 (¹¹C), Oxygen-15 (¹ O),
⁸ ⁵
Nitrogen-13 (¹³N)
2) A biologically active molecule (to target a specific function or organ)
Pharmaceutical (carrier molecule): Determines where the tracer goes in the
body.
Example: Glucose-like molecule in ¹ F-FDG targets tissues that use more
⁸
glucose (like the brain or tumors).
10.
● Different tracersare used for different purposes
Tracer Radionuclide Used for
¹ F-FDG
⁸ Fluorine-18
Glucose metabolism (cancer, brain,
heart)
¹¹C-Methionine Carbon-11 Protein synthesis, brain tumors
¹³N-Ammonia Nitrogen-13 Myocardial perfusion (heart blood flow)
¹ O-Water
⁵ Oxygen-15 Blood flow studies
11.
How Radiodiopharmaceutical is
●Radioactive compound: it gives off
radiation that scanner detects, ex. Fluorine-
18
● Linker: It is bridge that connect the
radionuclide to the targeting molecule
● Targeting molecule: It is the biological
active part of the tracer – it decides where
tracer will go in body, it can be sugar, protein,
peptide or antibody
● Target protein: It is where targeting
molecule attaches to – a receptor on the cell
surface
● Target cell: Final destination – A cell
that’s the tracer binds to.
12.
Process of PETtracer
●The tracer injected into IV in very tiny amount( 5-10 millicuries ), so it’s safe
and doesn’t effect body.
● Then it travels through bloodstream to reach all parts of body and tracer
goes to specific organs or cells that absorbs substance it made to imitate, like
FDG acts like glucose so it goes to cells that use more sugar (usually cancer
cells or brain cells
●TheTarget tissue ,like tumor, brain, heart, binds the tracer. More active or
deceased cells take up more tracer, because they have higher metabolism.
● Then the radionuclide of tracer decays, means it is unstable so to be stable it
releases energy, positron( which has +ve charge), the positron meets eletron
then they destroy each other, the destroying is called Annihilation , this release
two gamma rays and then the PET scanner detect gamma rays to make image.
● Then the computer turns the raw data into colourful 3D images that shows
how organs and tissues are working.
13.
Colour Metabolic Activity
RedVery High
Orange High
Yellow Moderate to high
Green Moderate
Blue Low
Black Very low or non
Colour spectrum of PET scan
14.
Applications of PETScan
Oncology: Detects, stages, and monitors cancer; checks treatment response; finds
recurrence.
Neurology: Studies brain function; helps diagnose Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and
brain tumors.
Cardiology:: Evaluates heart blood flow, detects coronary artery disease, and identifies
viable heart tissue.
Infection & Inflammation: Locates hidden infections, fever of unknown origin, or
inflammatory diseases.
15.
Patient Preparation forpet scan
• Fasting: no food for 4-6 hours before scan, because eating increase blood
suger and insulin, which can effect tracer distribution
• Avoid exercise for 24 hour before scan: exercise increases muscles
metabolism, tracer will collects into muscles
• Check blood sugar level: should be below 150mg/dL.
• No talking or chewing during uptake time: It activates head and neck
muscles – false tracer uptake
• Remove all the metal and jewellery
16.
Advantages of PETscan
●Detects disease at a very early stage, even before structural changes are visible
on CT/MRI.
●Shows metabolism and activity of tissues (not just structure).
●Useful for detecting spread (metastasis) of cancer in a single test.
●Treatment Monitoring Helps to see if chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or
→
surgery is working.
●Guides Biopsy/Surgery Shows the most active part of a tumor to target for
→
biopsy.
●Fused Imaging (PET/CT, PET/MRI) Combines functional and anatomical
→
details for better accuracy.
●Non-invasive and usually safe.
●PET traser does not cause any harm to patient organs in any conditions.
17.
Disadvantages of PETscan
● Time- consuming .
● PET scans are very expensive form of imagining
● are not always readily available all the time.
● Radiation doses of patient is really high .
● PET scan alone doesn’t give details anatomy structure (need CT/MRI fusion
for accuracy)
● Sometimes gives false positives and negatives.
● Pregnant or breastfeeding women are advice against it due to radiation
●Radioisotopes like FDG decay quickly, so scan must be scheduled in time
and precisely.