NEW TECHNOLOGY AIDS CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Pinpointing Cancer

Hungry cancer cells on the hunt for glucose to fuel their rapid growth can be quickly sought out by new imaging technology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Positron Emission Topography (PET) is a powerful diagnostic tool that allows physicians to detect cancerous cells throughout the body with one scan. A PET scan also can tell a physician how far and where cancer has spread.

“PET is an exceptional complement to our existing diagnostic tools,” says George Sfakianakis, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of the nuclear medicine program at UM/Sylvester. “This technology can effectively pinpoint the source of cancer, eliminating the need for redundant diagnostic tests and potentially ineffective surgical procedures.”

For a PET scan, physicians inject the patient with a small amount of glucose containing a radioactive atom. The cancerous cells absorb large amounts of the glucose and, therefore, the radioactive material. The radioactive atoms then emit signals that are picked up by the PET technology during the scan. A full-body scan can be completed in about an hour and is completely painless.

PET technology also helps physicians monitor the effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments, allowing a quick change in the course of treatment, if needed. It also is effective in differentiating recurrent cancers from scar tissue left from radiation therapy.

Dr. Sfakianakis and his team of board-certified nuclear medicine physicians have conducted more than 3,000 PET studies and serve as interpretive experts for physicians in other PET centers in the region. “Our team is like a group of pilots who have logged more than 50,000 hours of flying,” Dr. Sfakianakis says. “It is an incredibly complex technology, so patients can really benefit from a team with so much experience and skill.”

By : The Author