Radiology / Diagnostics
PET/CT Scanner
State-of-the-art Diagnostics. It’s the first and the only. The Positron Emission Tomography-Computerized Tomography (PET-CT) scanner owned and operated jointly by Saint Mary’s Health Care and Spectrum Health is the only one of its kind in West Michigan and only one of five scanners in Michigan.
“It is a unique venture,” said PET Medical Imaging Center Executive Director John Helmer. In order to attain a Certificate of Need for the PET-CT Scanner from the State of Michigan, Saint Mary’s and Spectrum Health had to combine the number of cancer patients served at both of the networks to meet the State’s requirements. Helmer said the State is very strict about how many scanners it will allow. “Local legislators helped us get it through,” he said.
The PET Medical Imaging Center, located at 3264 North Evergreen Drive in Northeast Grand Rapids, opened about one year ago and focuses primarily on outpatient care. “Our PET-CT scan is fulfilling a great need,” Helmer said. “Before, patients had to travel a long distance to get this done. Now, it’s right here.” PET and CT both are tools physicians use to pinpoint disease states in the body for better treatment and disease management. The PET scan displays the biological function (biochemistry) of the body’s tissues, while the CT scan provides information about the anatomy such as the size, shape and location of a tumor. By combining the two technologies, physicians can more accurately diagnose and monitor diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders, while streamlining testing and decreasing the need for invasive biopsies.
“There are some tumors you are able to see on the PET that you can’t see on the CT, and some you see on the CT you can’t see on PET,” said PET Medical Imaging Center Medical Director Paul Shreve, MD. He said the combination of the PET and CT scans provide physicians with the “best view of anatomy” and the “best view of biochemistry.” The two work together, Shreve said. Francis Verde, MD, a radiologist who works at Saint Mary’s and the imaging center, said 95 percent of the patients who have the scans are cancer patients. “There are six to ten cases per day,” he said. “There is a great need for it.”
Although the two scans work together toward the same great purpose, the time it takes to perform each one is significantly different. The CT scan takes about 20 seconds to complete, whereas the PET scan takes 20 minutes. But the PET-CT machine is “open,” and patients are able to look out the window into a garden or gaze at an outdoor scene on the ceiling of the room. “The design is based on other facilities around the world,” Shreve said. “It really is state-of-the-art in its layout and design. Much of the design is based on patient comfort and convenience.”
Before patients have the scans, they are required to sit for 90 minutes while a small amount of radioactive glucose is distributed throughout the bloodstream. While patients wait, they have their own private room with a CD/DVD player, television, and VCR. “We want them to feel comfortable,” Helmer said. After patients are finished, they are offered a variety of chocolates, juices and other snacks. “This really is a great service that we are able to provide to our patients,” Helmer said. In addition, Saint Mary’s patients can feel assured that they are receiving the very best in diagnostic technology.
PET Facts and Benefits:
- One image shows all body organ systems.
- Provides pre-surgical assessment.
- Provides earlier diagnosis of disease.
- Reduces need for invasive procedures.
- Avoids needless pain to the patient.
- Monitors effects of therapy.
- Replaces multiple tests.
- Identifies distant tumors.
- Differentiates between scar tissue and tumor recurrence
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