PET Imaging and Prostate Cancer: Is This Test Important?

Posted by PET / CT of Las Colinas on March 26th, 2016

Prostate cancer is estimated to impact an estimated 1 in 7 American men during the course of their lifetimes. Some 200,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States and more than 26,000 men die from the disease each year. While many men diagnosed in the earlier stages of the disease will find treatments widely available to them, metastatic prostate cancer can prove more challenging to treat. It can also prove more challenging to detect.

Researchers are finding, however, that PET imaging technology involving the use of a small radiotracer can more readily identify metastatic prostate cancer. This discovery is especially important because prostate cancer is generally viewed as a slow-growing form of the disease that some men can even “live with” without undergo interventions. To make sure a low grade case is truly a low grade case, improved imaging can be vital.

The real value of PET imaging in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment was looked into during a recent study. Researchers found that PET scans were much more effective than other detection methods for finding metastatic prostate cancer. This form of screening detected more lesions than traditional methods and was also proven useful for showing concerns related to the bone, visceral tissue and lymph nodes.

Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are likely to find a number of diagnostic tools used to help doctors gauge the severity of their case. The PET scan may soon become a more widely tool used in determining this cancer’s spread so appropriate treatment measures can be undertaken.

Men age 50 and over are urged to discuss prostate cancer risks with their healthcare providers. Early screening procedures can help diagnose this cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. Men who are at higher risk for the disease may find earlier screening access is recommended.

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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.