Imaging from the inside out: PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

Another way to image patients is to inject patient with something that is radioactive.  It is a small amount of radiation that has a particular location in the body like tumor, bone marrow, or liver. When radiologists look at the image and a particular part is very bright it indicates a tumor, as the tumor has taken up the FTG sugar that is tagged.  Using this method radiologists can localize where the tumor is since tumors like sugar. The brain loves sugar so the tag will be found there, and bladder excretes sugar. At the end of the treatment, if very little sugar is found then it suggests a very successful treatment of the tumor.