Treating Breast Cancer

(NAPSA)—It doesn’t bark or mew, but this type of PET may help womenbattling breast cancer. PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. A PET scan “sees” where the body emits abnormal amounts of energy—a sign cancer cells may be present. Photo courtesy of CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc. PET scans can be valuable tools in the fight against breast cancer. Studies in professional magazines, including the Journal of Nuclear Medicine—published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine— have shown PET scans can significantly change breast cancer treatment. Medicare recently approved coverage for PET scansfor use in cancer-treatment evaluations and to screen for the recurrence of cancer. What do PETscanstell doctors? They help physicians identify and classify suspicious areas as harmful cancer cells or harmlessscartissue—without invasive procedures. Knowing for certain whether cancer has come back can bring peace of mind to the patient—andif cancer is detected, doctors can begin treatment sooner. A PET scan won’t cure breast cancer, but it can give women and their doctors critical information to fight the disease.