Thanks to the joint effort of Catawba Valley Medical Center and Frye Regional Medical Center, Catawba County has local access to state-of-the-art PET/CT Imaging.

The PET/CT Scanner Center served its first patient in September 2004. The PET/CT scanning process enhances our ability to detect certain diseases and monitor treatment regimens. The advantage of the combination PET/CT is the overlay of a CT image on top of a PET image at one time in one setting. Most other facilities use stand-alone PET (positron emission tomography) and CT (computerized tomography) units that manually have to be examined and combined by the clinicians. The PET/CT combination provides physicians with a detailed view of internal anatomy along with the ability to see metabolic changes within tissue. Because it is able to show chemical changes within the body, a PET/CT scanner may detect diseases weeks or months before symptoms appear. This represents an important leap forward in the battle to detect certain types of cancer, brain diseases and potential cardiac diseases. Previously, local patients had to travel outside the area to utilize this advanced imaging technique-most often used to stage cancer treatment and check for recurrences.

Individuals receiving the scans are given intravenous radioactive labeled glucose molecules. These molecules are taken up and used by all tissues; however, there is an increased uptake in metabolically active tissue. Cancers are rapidly growing and multiplying cells, so they use more glucose than normal tissue. The PET scanner not only measures the amount of uptake, but how quickly the tissue is using the glucose.

If surgery is necessary, PET/CT scanning can also aid in the pinpointing of the surgical site. When used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, PET/CT scanning provides physicians with detailed information about their patients. It is used to aid in the diagnosis of certain types of cancer, detect poor blood flow to the heart, diagnose nervous system disorders, assist physicians in determining the best treatment options and monitor the progress of cancer treatments.

The PET/CT scanner can enhance our ability to diagnose and treat our cancer patients at the local level. This advanced technology means that area physicians and surgeons have another important diagnostic tool previously available only at large teaching institutions.

Located just off Tate Blvd. at Unifour Medical Commons, 235 18th Street SE in Hickory, the PET/CT Scanning Center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. with scans performed from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. A physician referral is required for an appointment. For more information, contact the PET/CT Scanning Center at 828-485-2718.