How Cancer is Detected by a CT Scan
Posted by PET-CT Las Colinas on July 25th, 2019
Computed tomography (CT) scans are outpatient procedures that help doctors to detect cancer. They often show the cross-section of the body including the organs, bones and soft tissues. During a CT scan, doctors will see the size, shape, and location of the tumor and even the blood vessels that are feeding the tumor.
In CT guided biopsies, doctors will use CT scans to assist them to guide a needle in order to get a tissue sample from a patient. CT scans can also help to guide needles during treatments such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to destroy tumors. Doctors can monitor a tumor’s response to treatment or cancer recurrence after a patient’s treatment.
Here is how cancer shows up on CT scans:
• CT scans use pencil-thin beam radiation to help create a series of body images taken from various angles. Data from every angle is fed in a computer that later creates a black and white image that shows the sections of the body.
• The computer will combine the images into a detailed 3-dimensional image that will show any tumors or abnormalities.
• To get clearer images, special contrast materials are swallowed or injected intravenously into patients.
• The commonly scanned areas of the body include the chest, limbs, pelvis, abdomen, head or neck. After the scan, a radiologist will interpret the results.
• CT scans help to pinpoint tumor locations, evaluate the extent of cancer in a patient’s body and monitor treatment to see if the disease is responsive. CT technology can also guide cancer treatment accurately.
Doctors are now using CT technology in virtual endoscopy where they can scan inside the surfaces of organs like the colon (CT colonography or virtual colonoscopy) or lungs (virtual bronchoscopy without putting any scopes inside the body. The 3D CT images are then arranged on the computer screen to create a black and white view that makes it look like an actual endoscopy.
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PET / CT of Las Colinas was developed with both patients and physicians in mind and our services have been used for various types of disease; primarily in detecting, staging and monitoring cancer, but also in heart disease and brain disorders.
