PET-CT
PET-CT combines metabolic imaging with CT anatomy so doctors can see both how tissue behaves and where it is located.
When to get help quickly: PET-CT is rarely an emergency test, but it can become time-sensitive when treatment decisions depend on accurate staging or when there is concern that disease may be progressing.
Common symptoms
PET-CT is usually requested because of a known or suspected cancer, unexplained weight loss, a mass, persistent abnormal findings, or a need to see whether treatment is working.
When imaging helps
It helps when doctors need both structural detail and information about metabolic activity, especially for staging cancer, checking treatment response, or looking for recurrence.
What radiology does
It is commonly used in oncology for staging, treatment response, and recurrence assessment.
What usually happens next
The findings help guide cancer treatment decisions, but interpretation always depends on the clinical context and pathology history.
Need this done?
See which centers in Lagos offer it.
Related articles
- How PET-CT Helps in Cancer CarePET-CT combines information about how tissues are behaving with detailed images of where changes are in the body.
- Whole-Body MRI and PET-CT in Cancer CareWhole-body MRI and PET-CT show different kinds of information. Neither is a general cancer check for everyone.
- What Nuclear Medicine Scans Actually ShowNuclear medicine looks less like ordinary imaging because it focuses on how tissue behaves, not just how it looks.
Related scan guides
- PET-CT ScanPET-CT combines nuclear medicine and CT imaging to show both how tissues are working and where abnormal activity is located in the body. It is commonly used in cancer, and in selected heart and brain conditions.
- Sentinel Lymph Node ScanA sentinel lymph node scan is a nuclear medicine study used to help identify the first lymph node or nodes that drain a particular area, often before surgery for cancers such as breast cancer or melanoma.
- Whole-Body ScanA whole-body scan is a nuclear medicine test that looks across much of the body for abnormal tracer uptake. In many patient settings, it refers to a whole-body bone scan used to assess bone activity throughout the skeleton.