A PET scan is a test that uses glucose to highlight tissues that are alive and actively metabolizing sugar. Cancers like mesothelioma often use more glucose than normal tissue. To do a PET scan, a small amount of radioactive glucose is injected into a vein. A scanner, controlled by a computer, will then take multiple pictures of the area of interest, which can be the entire body. The scan can detect both the original cancer and also areas of metastasis.
Dr. Kaplan
