Radiology Terms

PET Scan

What is a PET Scan? Definition, Uses, Benefits, and Risks

A Positron Emission Tomography scan, also known as a PET scan, is a medical imaging test that can assess blood flow, check the function of certain organs and is commonly used to detect cancer.. 

Patients receive a safe, radioactive tracer by injection, inhalation or oral consumption. The tracer accumulates in areas of higher metabolic activity, indicating possible sites of disease and providing information about how certain organs and tissues are functioning.