PET Scanner Revolutionizes Diagnosis of Cancer and Other Deadly Diseases

Friday, July 20, 2001

** Editor's note: Dr. Michael Roarke and a PET scan patient are available for interviews and photos by calling Anne Tewksbury, 480-301-4368.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Patients with diseases such as cancer, epileptic seizures and coronary artery disease can now receive more accurate diagnosis and improved care, with less need for invasive biopsies and fewer surgeries because of a new Dedicated Ring-Detector PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner. Mayo Clinic Scottsdale is one of only three centers in Arizona to provide this technology, which is one of the most powerful and accurate diagnostic imaging machines available today, According to Michael C. Roarke, M.D., Director of Nuclear Radiology at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, CT and MRI show anatomy well, but they often don't indicate whether a lesion is benign or malignant. Dr. Roarke adds that PET shows the function of the lesion and this helps differentiate between benign and malignant tissue.

For the millions of people suffering from cancers such as lung, colorectal, esophageal, melanoma, and lymphoma, the PET scan can identify areas of cancer spread, distinguish between scar tissue and active tumor, and help determine cancer response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

As an alternative to biopsy as a diagnostic tool, the PET scan is effective in characterizing nodules seen in the lung on chest x-ray or CT. For example, if the PET scan shows that a lung nodule is benign, then the nodule can be monitored with follow-up chest imaging rather than having the patient undergo an invasive needle biopsy or surgery. If the PET shows that the nodule is malignant, then the patient can proceed to surgery without undergoing the biopsy. Cancer facts are startling. In Arizona alone, it is estimated that there will be more than 21,000 new cancer cases diagnosed this year, and nationwide, an estimated 1.3 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year.

"PET scanning is a 21st century tool that will play a vital role in medical care," says Dr. Roarke. "This technology will provide physicians with the ability to assess the function of tissues in the body, which, up to now, has not been available.

### Media Contact: Anne Tewksbury 480-301-4368

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