In addition to ultrasounds, another scan commonly used in standard cancer diagnosis is a CT scan. CT stands for Computed Tomography. It's an imaging tool that uses X-ray technology to produce scans of the inside of the body. A CT scan is also sometimes called a CAT scan (Computerized Axial Tomography).
While CT scans do show a bit more detail than an ultrasound, they still cannot identify cancerous tissue – and this can easily lead to false negatives. PET/CT scans, on the other hand, provide you with far more accurate and detailed results.
A PET/CT scan, meanwhile, does show if tissue is cancerous or not, and how active it is. This means you won’t receive a false negative. Plus, you will avoid continuing treatment if it's not actually needed. We’ve had clients who’d been told that they were cancer-free, based on a CT scan. But when they got a PET/CT scan, it showed a cancerous tumour that would have otherwise gone untreated.
Simply put, you cannot rely on a CT scan. See our PET/CT vs CT Comparison to learn more about how and why CT scans can fail cancer patients.
If we know that PET/CT scan is a superior diagnostic tool, why are doctors still prescribing CT scans to patients (usually after they’ve had an ultrasound)?
The usual process in standard cancer care is to give people the cheapest (and, usually, least accurate) tests first. If those tests show troubling signs, the patient will get a slightly more expensive –and, more accurate – test. However, PET/CT scans are still not a part of standard care, except in worst case scenarios. But by the time patients in those cases actually get a PET/CT, so much time has passed that incorrect treatments have often already been given, and the cancer has progressed to an uncontrollable point. However...this can be avoided!
When you get a PET/CT scan from the start, you avoid wasting any time at all – and you are guaranteed to get all the facts about whether you have cancerous tumours, where exactly they are, how aggressive they are, and if your treatment is working as well as it should be. Isn't that what you want?
Read more about why PET/CT scans are so effective and how they work.
If you have any questions, or want to access a PET/CT and other life-saving tests & treatments, reach out today to speak with our precision oncology specialists.
While a PET/CT is an excellent imaging tool, it alone is not enough to give you an accurate diagnosis. For an accurate diagnosis, you also need to get comprehensive genetic testing done, and have the results analyzed by a genomics specialist (not a regular oncologist).
That’s why our medical team at Cancer Treatment Options and Management will help you get the most advanced diagnostic tools (like PET/CT) and genetic tests (like tumor DNA sequencing and liquid biopsy) as fast as possible. And, most importantly, we’ll ensure the results of these tests are properly analyzed and put into immediate action for you.
In other words, we’ll ensure you get the right testing done immediately – and then we’ll analyze the results and get you started on the right treatment ASAP.
Speed and accuracy are the two most important factors in a successful treatment outcome.
Take control over your cancer, today! And feel less stressed about your cancer care, instantly. Take the fastest path to your success and register now for a Precision Second Opinion with our medical team.
With cancer, every moment counts. Contact us today to discover how we can help you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
"I was impressed with the research and knowledge that the medical team from CTOAM has. They've explained everything along the way; I’ve come to trust them implicitly. They always give me hope, which is a huge benefit. I’d recommend for anyone diagnosed with cancer to give CTOAM a call and use this service. A doctor’s just a doctor – meaning, they don’t have time to do the research that Cancer Treatment Options and Management does, plus they have to stick with the protocols of standard care." – Damian, CTOAM patient & colon cancer survivor
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