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Glossary of Terms
Computed Tomography Scan (also called CT or CAT scan): A medical test that helps physicians look at the anatomy of the body. When a CT scan is combined with a PET scan it will give the Radiologist anatomy and function in one image to interpret.
fasting (also called NPO): Nothing by mouth. For a PET/CT scan there will be instructions given to the patients with a time frame that the patient must remain NPO.
Fluorodeoxyglucose (also called 18F-FDG): Is a radioactive tracer used in PET scanning which is taken up by cells in the body that use glucose. Some cells may be normal or abnormal. This material has no known side effects and will not make the patient feel different.
glucose (also called blood glucose level or BGL): The blood glucose level is the amount of glucose in the blood. A patient’s glucose level is tested prior to injection of FDG in a PET scan. The BGL is important in a PET scan due to the nature of how FDG works in the body as cells take it up.
metabolism: The sum total of all chemical processes in the body that result in growth, energy, waste elimination and other body functions following food digestion and the distribution of nutrients in the blood. FDG works on a metabolic level in a person’s body.
nuclear medicine: A branch of Radiology that uses nuclear properties of matter in diagnosis and therapy. PET is a specialty of Nuclear Medicine.
PET/CT Scanner: The camera used to image a patient after the injection of FDG.
Positron Emission Tomography (also called PET): A study of cells in a person’s body. PET uses a small amount of a radioactive tracer (FDG) injected into a vein to help determine how well organs are functioning. The patient is then imaged using a PET/CT scanner to acquire images on a computer screen that can be interpreted by a Radiologist.
Radiologist: A physician specialized in radiology, the branch of medicine that uses ionizing and non-ionizing radiation for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. A radiologist who specializes in Nuclear Medicine will be interpreting the PET/CT scan.
Technologist: A specialist that is trained to perform work in a field of a technology. A PET technologist has at least an Associates degree in Nuclear Medicine. A CT technologist has at least an Associates degree in Radiology.
