PET Scan

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an imaging test that allows your doctor to check for diseases in your body. The scan uses radioactive tracers that are injected into a vein in your arm. Certain organs and tissues then absorb the tracer. When detected by a PET scanner, the tracers help your doctor to see how well your organs and tissues are working. The tracer will collect in areas of higher chemical activity, which is helpful because certain tissues of the body, and certain diseases, have a higher level of chemical activity. These areas of disease will show up as bright spots on the PET scan.

Sidney Health Center partnered with Shared Medical Services (SMS) to bring digital PET/CT technology service to Montana. The state-of-the art digital PET/CT scanner delivers faster scan times, reduced radiation doses and enhanced visualization of small lesions with exceptional image quality. 

PET/CT combines the functional information from a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) exam with anatomical information from a Computed Tomography (CT) exam in one single exam. When these two scans are combined, it helps physicians diagnose a problem, predict outcomes associated with various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to treatment and monitor treatment progress.  

The digital PET/CT mobile unit is onsite at Sidney Health Center every Wednesday to scan patients.