Technological Leadership:

Dayton and other southwestern Ohio area residents have always depended upon Kettering Medical Center for the latest medical advances and state-of-the-art technology.

Charles F. Kettering Memorial Hospital (KMH), the leading cardiac care facility in the region, was the first hospital in the area to offer patients such advanced diagnostic tools as computerized axial tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Kettering Memorial Hospital is the first hospital to bring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to southwestern Ohio for diagnoses and research. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a diagnostic procedure that allows the physician to examine the body in a brand new way, without surgery. This diagnostic procedure is now available on an outpatient basis by physician referral at the PET center located at Kettering Memorial Hospital.

The PET center complements the full spectrum of services offered at KMH and reflects the concerns, dedication, and commitment to qualify health care by Kettering Medical Center.

The technology of PET, developed in the early 1970's, has been put to use in a wide variety of research and diagnostic settings. By imaging the biochemical processes in the body, PET allows physicians to look deeply within the body and see the human machinery at work. While x-rays, CT scans, MR scans and ultrasound show body structure, such as bones, tissue and organs, a PET scan provides images of physiological activity. In other words, PET allows one to answer not the question, 'what is there?', but rather, 'how is it working?'

Extensive studies have been done on the heart, including analysis of the effects of myocardial infractions and detection of coronary artery disease. Fundamental applications of PET at Kettering Medical Center will be improved diagnosis of coronary artery disease and more precise selection of patients for coronary bypass surgery. Cancer patients will also benefit from PET scanning with improved diagnosis and monitoring effects of therapy on tumors. PET technology has provided researchers with new insight on the basic physiological changes associated with epilepsy, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. PET also is being used to study the way in which the brain processes information, and how the heart works under different conditions. Studies of PET's capabilities continue in research centers across the country.

Unique Features:

The unique feature of PET is the capability to diagnose tissue viability - in other words, whether or not the tissue is working properly and its level of metabolic activity (how it is using nutrients such as glucose for growth). Although x-rays, CT and MR scans can give information on anatomical structure and the presence of a tumor-like tissue mass, only PET can provide information on the chemistry and function of the area under examination.

PET scanning has clinical applications in the areas of cardiology, oncology, and neurology. Clinical research is also developing applications for psychiatry.

How Does PET Work?

PET technology identifies biochemical processes with a scanner to diagnose and assess treatment of heart disease, cancer, and neurological problems. While the test is relatively easy one for the patient, it uses some of the most sophisticated medical and computer systems available today.

The PET scan is conducted in a relaxed atmosphere. The patient receives a dose of radiotracer (a compound such as glucose, labeled with a short-lived radioisotope) either by injection or inhalation. The type of tracer a patient receives depends on which area of the body is to be viewed. The most commonly used tracers are radiolabeled glucose, ammonia, and water, all of which are found in the human body. Because the tracers are short-lived, the radiation exposure a patient receives is small - comparable to a gastrointestinal x-ray.

As the radiotracer travels through the body, the PET scanner detects it and translates the signals into vivid color images on the computer screen. These images are cross-sectional slices that highlight areas of biochemical activity. Although other diagnostic tests, such as CT or MRI, provide cross-sectional images of the body, only PET can provide information on the chemistry and function of the area under examination.

Principle Uses Of PET Technology:

Cardiology - PET imaging is used to reveal how well the heart is functioning. A PET scan can determine the rate and path of blood flow to the heart muscle and the metabolic activity of the heart. It can also pinpoint areas of the heart that are damaged beyond repair. Such information will help determine whether or not a patient is a good candidate for coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, or if treatment by lifestyle change, diet and medication is preferable. Ruling out non-beneficial surgery spares already ill patients additional trauma and pain, and offers those for whom surgery is an option an added measure of assurance. Once treatment is prescribed, PET can monitor effectiveness.

Oncology - In diagnosing cancer, PET is used to determine the location, size and grade of various types of tumors, and to find whether and to what extent tumor re-growth has occurred. After diagnosis, PET can be used to monitor tumor growth or regression and evaluate effectiveness of clinical treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Neurology - Neurological uses of PET include testing for cerebral metabolic rate, ischemia (blood flow blockage), and stroke. PET provides the ability to identify seizure foci, thus aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Differentiation between Alzheimer's disease, clinical depression and multi-infarct dementia (dementia caused by small strokes) is a major application undergoing clinical research at this time.

Psychiatry - Future clinical psychiatric uses of PET include monitoring the functional changes in cerebral biochemistry associated with behavioral disorders. The technique's usefulness is being explored in the area of schizophrenia, depression, panic and obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder.

More Information on PET

For additional information contact the Positron Emission Temography (PET) Center at (937) 395-8588.