Health - Chronic Illness (Upcoming blog)

People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims, unless they develop a greater vision for their lives.                                                                                                                                                                      -Stedman Graham

Do you allow circumstances to dictate your life?

If you do then I have news for you there is a whole other world out there for you. A happier world, a world of opportunities that is just waiting for you to discover what it holds for you.

Positron Emission Tomography scanning (PET) provides more information than x–rays or CT Scan and MRI scans, detecting biological changes and extremely small cancerous tumors. Able to indicate whether a tumor is benign or malignant, PET scanning also shows the extent to which cancer has spread. This can help detect how far mesothelioma has spread into the patient's body, and whether the human cells are malignant or not. It may be used to determine whether surgery is necessary or if treatment therapies are working. Various studies have shown PET scans to be more successful in diagnosing the presence of malignant mesothelioma when compared to standard mesothelioma diagnostic procedures (e.g. thoracoscopy or surgical biopsy).

Because cancers metabolize sugars at a higher rate than normal tissues or organs, the PET scan shows where there is abnormal activity and can pinpoint the areas of active disease. It differentiates scar tissue from tumor. It also can accurately image and measure the metabolic function of cancer to track the effects of radiation or chemotherapy, supplying doctors with information that can help avoid unnecessary surgery.

What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan?

Mesothelioma Diagnosis - PET-Scanner

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body.

The PET scan

Mesothelioma is not always an easy disease to diagnosis, especially if the patient is unclear about his or her past exposure to asbestos.

An x-ray is almost always the first step towards making the diagnosis, but an x-ray – the least sophisticated form of diagnostic imaging available – is often not precise enough to make a definitive determination

Mesothelioma Diagnosis - MRI Scan

What Is an MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging )?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, originally known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a medical imaging technique that provides very detailed images of any part of the body.

By use of a powerful magnetic field, the MRI clearly shows the contrast of different soft tissues in the body. By changing exam parameters, the MRI can cause these tissues to take on different appearances. When this occurs, the radiologist who is observing the MRI can simply tell whether something inside the body is abnormal by the way it appears on the screen.

CT Scan - Mesothelioma Diagnosis

CT scans are commonly employed to make an initial determination that the patient does potentially have malignant mesothelioma. CT scans can also be helpful in determining the extent that the cancer may have spread.

The CT scan is an x-ray procedure with a large doughnut-shaped machine that creates detailed cross-sectional images of the body. Instead of taking just one picture, like a traditional x-ray, a CT scanner takes several photographs as it rotates around the body. A computer then combines the pictures to make a single image of a slice of the body at a given point. The CT machine makes pictures of multiple slices of the portion of the body that is being studied. The CT scan allows technicians and doctors to create a three-dimensional image of the inside of the body.

If you are scheduled for a CT scan, the specialist will instruct you to refrain from eating and drinking for at least four hours prior to the procedure. Immediately prior to the scan, you may be given an injection of an iodine-based dye that will make certain parts of your internal anatomy more visible in the scan. There are side effects associated with this – usually consisting of a feeling of heat throughout your body. If you are asthmatic or allergic to iodine, it is vital to give the physician this information prior to the CT scan.