Study: A Fat That Helps You Lose Weight? Apr 9, 2009
Since PET picks up glucose-burning activity in cells, hot spots on PET scans of cancer patients generally indicate actively growing tumors. But after doing biopsies, doctors found that hot spots in the necks of most of their patients weren't cancerous at all. (Time.com)
SNM calls CMS PET scan decision a major benefit for cancer patients Apr 7, 2009
"CMS' decision to cover PET scans for cancer demonstrates the intrinsic medical value of PET and important role of these scans in diagnosing, staging, restaging and monitoring treatment for many cancers.". Previously, PET scans for many cancers would be reimbursed only if the PET facility submitted data to the NOPR. Now, all Medicare beneficiaries with certain cancers will be able to receive Medicare coverage for at least one PET scan, as prescribed by their physicians ... The new CMS decision... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
The promise of real-time health care Apr 1, 2009
Answers to those questions are being found, thanks to today's functional MRIs and PET scans technology that has eclipsed former scanning methods. Dr. Kutcher believes that will soon lead to direct diagnosis. (Globe and Mail)
Transforming Medical Diagnosis With New Scanning Technology Apr 1, 2009
18, 2007) Positron emission tomography or PET scans can help clinicians diagnose and treat some cancers, but it is not clear yet whether the imaging technology helps people with cancer live longer and. (Sep. (Science Daily)
June E. Nylen Cancer Center announces new break-through cancer detection method Apr 1, 2009
This is what the PET scan can do. " PET scanners take advantage of the fact that cancer cells burn the sugar glucose at unusually high rates. Patients to be scanned are given an injection of glucose. The decay particles given off by that glucose, called positrons, can be detected by the scanner. By calculating precisely where the source of the positrons is located in the patient, PET can locate where cancer cells are burning glucose at unusually high levels. "Combining CT with PET gives us the... (Storm Lake Pilot Tribune, IA)
In your corner: Ice isnt nice! (315) Mar 30, 2009
A PET scan picks up the brain s electrical activity and often will show holes, ridges and missing sections of the brain, causing the brain to not function properly or not function at all. Ice users may even suffer from a stroke, causing part of the brain to die due to a lack of blood supply. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Imaging technique may trace development of Parkinson's disease Mar 25, 2009
Determining loss of dopaminergic neurons using conventional methods such as metabolic PET scans is expensive, invasive, and requires injection of radioactive tracer chemicals. But the method studied by Vaillancourt and his group is non-invasive, relatively inexpensive, and does not use radioactive tracers. (EurekAlert!)
Narcolepsy Drug Might Be Addictive Mar 19, 2009
The authors used PET scans to study the effect of modafinil on the brains of 10 healthy men aged 23 to 46. Participants received either 200 milligrams of the drug (recommended for narcolepsy), 400 milligrams of the drug (effective for ADHD), or a placebo. (MEDLINEplus)
When Is the Right Time to Turn Off Life Support? Mar 19, 2009
com - When Is the Right Time to Turn Off Life Support. When Is the Right Time to Turn Off Life Support. (Fox News)
Safety Concerns Raised Over Popular Wakefulness Drug Mar 18, 2009
All of the men's brains were then scanned using positron-emission tomography (PET scans) ... As Volkow and Fowler suspected, the PET scans of the men who had taken modafinil showed that dopamine transporters were indeed being blocked by the drug and overall levels were rising. (Time.com)
Study: Smart drug may be habit-forming Mar 18, 2009
Effects were measured by PET scans, which showed that the drug increased dopamine, the brains feel-good neurotransmitters. Modafinil once was thought to be safer than conventional stimulants because it was believed that it did not engage the brains dopamine system, which is linked with addiction. (MSNBC -- Health)
Children Can Complete Treatment For Peanut Allergies And Achieve Long-term Tolerance, Studies Suggest Mar 17, 2009
Radiation therapy requires visualizing exactly where a tumor is located, usually from looking at hundreds of different X-ray , CT or PET scan images. . (Science Daily)
Is Alzheimer's Disease Actually a Form of Diabetes? Mar 17, 2009
PET scan of a brain with Alzheimer's diseaseWhen the brazen James Watson had his genome sequenced, he whether he carried a gene variant that would increase his risk for Alzheimer's disease ... PET scan image by U.S. National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center, via Wikipedia. (Slate)
Blood Test For Alzheimer's Possible, Study Suggests Mar 13, 2009
But even now, our test is orders of magnitude cheaper than having people come in every few months to get a functional MRI or PET scan to try to discern brain plaques. The team is targeting the two proteins themselves as a possible treatment for Alzheimer s disease. (Science Daily)
Research on new treatments for Alzheimer's under way in Jenkintown Mar 11, 2009
D., who serves as the CEO and director of research for the Adler Institute, is "you're able to get a better diagnosis." An FDA-approved, low-dose radioactive glucose-analog agent that cancers take up make the tumors light up in a PET scan, which when combined with the CT scan help pinpoint those tumors, Adler said. Subsequent scans with the agent can help determine the effectiveness of treatment. (Springfield Sun, PA)
SEAL training in Gaylord?Navy considering St. Mary Cathedral School for military exercise (410) Mar 8, 2009
upnorthguy wrote on Mar 7, 2009 8:52 AM:" I am sure that the links wont work, but go to the one below..... I think that hearing from Canidians and how they feel is a bit more accurate then from a us. Below are some excerpts.http://yedda.com/questions/Canadian_Socialized_Health_Care_1869107797311/Canadian Socialized Health Care Nightmares... What Obama Has For Us! Here are some excerpts from Canadian Press about the Socialized Health in Canada. Again this is what Obama and the American media... (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Newsweek: How men and women diet differently Mar 7, 2009
to join the NEWSWEEK community, post comments and subscribe to our e-mail newsletters. Tim Boyle / GettyImages BY THE NUMBERS. (MSNBC -- Health)
Medical imaging benefits far outweigh radiation risks Mar 6, 2009
This means that physicians successfully use PET scans to detect disease earlier, provide more targeted treatment and therapy, and often eliminate the need for exploratory surgery ... Risks involved with PET scans are minimal, with the benefits often far outweighing the risks ... In fact, PET scans can eliminate the need for exploratory tests and help individuals avoid potentially expensive and invasive surgeries later. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Is your chemotherapy working? Mar 6, 2009
New types of PET scans may answer that agonizing question in days, instead of weeks ... This experimental imaging relies on a familiar hospital workhorse: PET scans, typically used for things like detecting cancer or revealing the effects of a heart attack ... Unlike CT scans or MRIs, PET scans can show a tumor s internal activity, not just its size. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Quick scansto tell if chemo works Mar 5, 2009
Whats insideThis experimental imaging relies on a familiar hospital workhorse: PET scans, typically used for things like detecting cancer or revealing the effects of a heart attack. Unlike CT scans or MRIs, PET scans can show a tumor's internal activity, not just its size ... Many cancer patients get PET scans now to assess their disease before treatment, or to spot recurrences later on. (MSNBC -- Health)
Bad scans a growing problem for patients Mar 3, 2009
More than 95 million high-tech scans are done each year, and medical imaging, including CT, MRI and PET scans, has ballooned into a $100-billion-a-year industry in the United States, with Medicare paying for $14 billion of that. But recent studies show that as many as 20 percent to 50 percent of the procedures should never have been done because their results did not help diagnose ailments or treat patients. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Tests Might Diagnose, Predict Prostate Cancer Feb 26, 2009
A third study presented Tuesday looked at the benefit of using PET scans to diagnose bladder cancer. A research team led by Dr. Andrea B. Apolo, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, compared PET scans with CT scans and MRIs to see which imaging technique was better at diagnosing the disease ... PET scans were more sensitive and specific in finding bladder cancer and distinguishing local from metastasized cancer, which is cancer that has spread to other sites in the body. (MEDLINEplus)
Stem Cells: Politics, processes and potential Feb 17, 2009
PET scans confirmed that adult stem cells have the ability to engraft themselves into areas damaged by heart attacks and turn into viable, new heart muscle. Dr. H. (Naples Daily News)
Kristin Hoke's cancer journey Feb 15, 2009
July 27, 2007: A PET scan reveals Hoke s breast cancer has spread to the lymph glands, the lungs, the sternum, and the liver. July 31, 2007: A biopsy shows several brain lesions. (The Palm Beach Post)
An antimatter bomb?! Its just a movie Feb 13, 2009
Antiparticles have several medical uses: The best-known application is positron emission tomography, or PET scans, which rely on anti-electrons (also known as positrons). CERN added that "preliminary experiments carried out at CERN have shown that antimatter particle beams could be very effective at destroying cancer cells.". (MSNBC -- Movies)
Calvillo coming back for 2009 Feb 11, 2009
Alexia Calvillo said the couple spent the past few months doing some soul-searching and thinking about life while awaiting the results of a PET scan last week. "We were just hoping and praying that the scan came back clear and it did so we're really, really excited," she said. (Globe and Mail -- Sports)
Cognitive Training Can Alter Biochemistry Of The Brain Feb 10, 2009
Through a collaborative project conducted under the Stockholm Brain Institute, the researchers have now taken a step further and monitored the brain using Positron Emission Tomography (PET scans), and have confirmed that intensive brain training leads to a change in the number of dopamine D1 receptors in the cortex. Their results can be of significance to the development of new treatments for patients with cognitive impairments, such as those related to ADHD, stroke, chronic fatigue syndrome and... (Science Daily)
Best antidepressant Feb 8, 2009
Go read Lewinsohn s studies on depression and go look at PET scans of people with depression and then tell me it s all about the power of positive thought. Yes, the SocialCognitive Perspective impacts depression, but depression is caused by NEUROTRANSMITTERS.. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Why Saying No to Foods May Be Harder for Women Feb 7, 2009
Meanwhile, PET scans examined their brain activity. The researchers found that certain areas of the brain became more active in both the men and women when they were tempted with food. (MEDLINEplus)
Alzheimer's Disease Feb 7, 2009
ASK AN EXPERT Got a question about a health story in the news or a health topic. Here's your chance to get an answer. (CNN -- Health)
* Yes, running can make you high Mar 31, 2008
The idea was to use PET scans combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, to compare runners' brains before and after a long run ... The athletes had PET scans before and after two-hour runs. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
PET Confirmed As Valuable Cancer Diagnostic And Disease-staging Tool Mar 29, 2008
CMS will then review the data and issue their decision regarding reimbursement for PET scans covered only through the NOPR.. The authors believe that "the data collected by NOPR fulfils an unmet need with its primary scientific aim of measuring the impact of PET on patient management in a manner that is minimally intrusive to care providers." They also state that "our findings are representative of Medicare patients for whom PET would be ordered if it were covered by CMS for the expanded... (Science Daily)
Personal Best: Yes, running can make you high Mar 29, 2008
The idea was to use PET scans combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, to compare runners' brains before and after a long run. If the scans showed that endorphins were being produced and were attaching themselves to areas of the brain involved with mood, that would be direct evidence for the endorphin hypothesis. (International Herald Tribune)
PET Scans Help Detect and Classify Dementia Types Mar 28, 2008
Mosconi at New York University School of Medicine in New York and colleagues analyzed PET scans taken of 548 subjects. Of these individuals, 110 were elderly, but healthy, and the rest had mild cognitive impairment, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. (MEDLINEplus)
Study validates Pittsburgh Compound-B in identifying Alzheimer's disease brain toxins Mar 27, 2008
The PET scan showed significant retention of PiB in distinct regions of her brain ... The regions of her brain where the PET scans had identified the highest PiB levels before death correlated precisely with the regions of high beta-amyloid plaque concentrations in her autopsied brain ... This patient who selflessly and generously agreed to PiB PET scanning and who gave us the gift of her brain has enabled us to compare what we detected during her life to what we confirmed after her death. (EurekAlert!)
LMC to develop medical imaging career center Mar 27, 2008
Continuing education would also be developed to train in areas such as mammography, CT and PET scans and bone density screening. The MICC will include updates to all existing radiologic technology equipment to create an "energized" lab with fully functioning x-ray equipment. (Dowagiac News, MI)
LMC moves forward on $1.7 million project Mar 27, 2008
Continuing education would also be developed to train in areas such as mammography, CT and PET scans and bone density screening. . (Niles Star, MI)
Hybrid MRI-PET Scanner Reveals Tumors Earlier Mar 26, 2008
Researchers found that images of colon tumors in mice captured on the new scanner were as clear as those captured separately on traditional MRI and PET scans. The new machine allows physicians to view tissue in detail and gauge its health simultaneously. (Scientific American)
Health Insurers Limit Advanced Scans Mar 24, 2008
Insurers fear some patients are being exposed to dangerous radiation levels from having repeated CT and PET scans, which use many times the radiation of a regular chest X-ray. Sometimes scans are repeated because the first ones were not done properly, using outdated equipment or by poorly trained technicians. (ABC News -- Wire)
Scans geta closerlook Mar 24, 2008
Insurers fear some patients are being exposed to dangerous radiation levels from having repeated CT and PET scans, which use many times the radiation of a regular chest X-ray ... A recent study by the Center for Studying Health System Change, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of Plainsboro, N.J., the nations biggest health care charity, also found that limitations on use of MRIs, CT scans, PET scans and nuclear cardiology imaging became widespread last year. (MSNBC -- Health)
Medical, physical scientists team up to improve PET technology Mar 21, 2008
In conventional PET scans, patients receive a dose of short-lived radioactive material that emits positrons. The PET scanner then detects the photons released when the positrons annihilate with electrons in the body. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Medical Myths Debunked Mar 17, 2008
MRI and Pet scans show no dormant areas of the brain. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals reveal no non-functioning sections. (Newsmax)
Fundamental Process Of Tumor Growth Explained Mar 15, 2008
"Through aerobic glycolysis, or the Warburg effect, cancer cells produce energy by taking up glucose at much higher rates than other cells while, at the same time, using a smaller fraction of the glucose for energy production. This allows cancer cells to function more like fetal cells, promoting extremely rapid growth." This unique metabolic property of cancer cells has led to the success of PET imaging as a means of cancer detection; because radioactive glucose injected into patients prior to... (Science Daily)
Researchers use light to detect Alzheimer's Mar 15, 2008
Others try to image the brain with established techniques like MRI or PET scans. Optical methods, like the one used by the Bedford researchers, are an emerging approach to imaging. (EurekAlert!)
Submerged in stuff, hoarders keep collecting Mar 15, 2008
In a recent study conducted by Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego, 20 adults with clinically significant compulsive hoarding issues and 18 healthy non-hoarding controls were given PET scans to measure their brain metabolism. Hoarders were found to have lower activity in a specific part of the brain thats involved in decision-making, focused attention and the regulation of emotion. (MSNBC -- Health)
PET's Targeted Imaging May Lead To Earlier Diagnosis Of Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease Mar 8, 2008
Because FDG behaves like glucose when injected into the body, its location in the PET scans pinpointed the specific area where glucose utilization had fallen below normal levels as compared to an age-appropriate control group. "Each type of dementia examined Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) affects a different area of the brain. Based on where in the brain this decrease occurred, we were able to determine which type of dementia a... (Science Daily)
Runners' High Demonstrated: Brain Imaging Shows Release Of Endorphins In Brain Mar 7, 2008
lle, who for several years has been head of a research group called 'Functional Imaging of Pain' at TU Munich, adds: 'Our evaluations show that the more intensively the high is experienced, the lower the binding of [18F]FDPN was in the PET scan. And this means that the ratings of euphoria and happiness correlated directly with the release of the endorphins. (Science Daily)
Jacks family, friends fight back against cancer Mar 6, 2008
Jack has been growing taller, his hair has all come back, though curly instead of wavy, and CAT scans taken every three months and PET Scans every six months have all come back clean. The next scan will be done March 11, a few weeks before the Jack-Fights-Back fundraiser at the yacht club. (Danvers Herald, MA)
PET/CT planning beneficial for head and neck cancer patients Mar 5, 2008
So, researchers in the departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, Neoplastic and Related Disorders, and Otolaryngology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee conducted this study to evaluate the clinical outcomes, including overall survival, disease-free survival and the incidence of recurrence of patients receiving PET/CT-guided radiation therapy and the correlation of the clinical outcomes to the maximum standard uptake value obtained on the PET scan. Between December 2002 and... (EurekAlert!)
An unfair struggle Mar 5, 2008
She learned that lesson firsthand when her oncologist ordered a Positron Emission Tomography Scan, or PET scan, to stage her cancer and determine her treatment course. When the imaging center he'd referred her to in Anchorage learned she was uninsured, it canceled her appointment, Carlsen said. (Anchorage Daily News)
Former Maryville resident survives cancer; lives life one day at a time Mar 3, 2008
He is scheduled for a PET scan on March 8. Doug Summa is a carefree, nothing-worries-me kind of person. (Maryville Daily Forum, MO)
Cocaine's Effects On Brain Metabolism May Contribute To Abuse Feb 26, 2008
25, 2008) Many studies on cocaine addiction - and attempts to block its addictiveness - have focused on dopamine transporters, proteins that reabsorb the brain's "reward" chemical once its signal is sent. Since cocaine blocks dopamine transporters from doing their recycling job, it leaves the feel-good chemical around to keep sending the pleasure signal. (Science Daily)
Health officials look ahead Feb 26, 2008
Also, Perry said he foresees the introduction of more PET scan machines over the next 10 years. The Positron Emission Tomography scan is a medical imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of body processes, Perry said. (Freeport Journal-Standard, IL)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Psychotherapy Causes Brain Changes Feb 16, 2008
To see whether changes in brain activity could be documented after such a brief period of therapy, the researchers conducted special PET scans of 10 patients before and after 4 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy. Scans were also made several weeks apart in 12 normal, untreated comparison subjects. (MEDLINEplus)
PET Scans Best for Measuring Response to Sarcoma Treatment Feb 12, 2008
Study found it more accurate than MRIs or CT scans. Friday, February 8, 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Less Invasive Method Provides Highly Accurate Means To Determine Lung Cancer Stage, Study Suggests Feb 9, 2008
PET scans are also used to determine if a cancer has spread, but both CT and PET have limits, Dr. Wallace says ... Most doctors, including the American College of Chest Physicians, now recommend that CT and PET scans be confirmed with a biopsy of the lymph nodes. (Science Daily)
PET Outperforms CT In Characterization Of Lung Nodules, Study Shows Feb 7, 2008
18, 2007) Positron emission tomography or PET scans can help clinicians diagnose and treat some cancers, but it is not clear yet whether the imaging technology helps people with cancer live longer and. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Windber Medical center uses state-of-the-art technology Feb 7, 2008
Not all patients, not all cancers are candidates for the PET Scans, Coleman said. They have to be receptive to the FDG the radioactive sugar they will give for the test. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Positron emission tomography superior to standard evaluation tools in measuring treatment response Feb 1, 2008
Conversely, if a patient is not responding, using PET scanning to evaluate response could help prevent them from undergoing toxic therapies that arent working ... Eilber and his team of top scientists, including PET scan inventor Michael Phelps, wanted to find a better way to predict response so patients would not have to undergo unnecessary treatment or be removed from therapies that were working ... Since operable sarcomas are treated before surgery with chemotherapy and radiation, it was the... (EurekAlert!)
Photo by: Andrew Moore/Daily Journal Rachelle Bolger and her 8-year-old daughter, Autumn, pray during the candlelight vigil held at Bolger’s home on Foushee Street in Rockingham. Bolger has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Leio Myo Sarcoma. The 36-year-old mother of three will have a PET scan on Monday to determine if an operation to treat the cancer is possible. More than 75 people attended the vigil. Feb 1, 2008
The 36-year-old mother of three will have a PET scan on Monday to determine if an operation to treat the cancer is possible ... She ll get a PET scan this Monday, to see if there is a possibility of surgery, friend and co-worker Amy Fournier said. (Rockingham Daily Journal, NC)
Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Proceeds to Full Enrolment in U.S. Phase II Sarcoma Clinical Trial Jan 31, 2008
A PET scan taken at the same time showed that any residual mass was metabolically inert. A total of 12 patients have received REOLYSIN(R) treatment to date, with five remaining on study. (PR Newswire)
Cancer patients can use Medisave for scans in outpatient clinics from April 1 Jan 29, 2008
SINGAPORE: From 1 April, cancer patients will be able to use their Medisave to pay for diagnostic scans, such as MRI, CT and PET scans, in outpatient clinics. Currently, they can only do so when they are hospitalised. (Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
Reggae star triggers seizures in Rosedale woman Jan 25, 2008
A PET scan was performed while Gayle played "Temperature" on her iPod and she had a seizure. Mehta said he found "abnormal activity" in Gayle's right temporal lobe a section of the brain that perceives music and a 1-inch by 3-inch section of her brain was removed during surgery. (Bayside Times, NY)
A Musical Link To Epilepsy Jan 19, 2008
"Given that she had such a specific trigger, we were able to play the music and do a PET scan. That gave us an idea of where the seizures may be coming from. "Ultimately we have to implant electrodes to find the area, [and then] we played the music. " Doctors determined the cause of Gayle's seizures was an extremely rare condition called musicogenic epilepsy, in which seizures are actually induced by music. According to the hospital, there are only five such cases known worldwide. During the... (CBS News -- Early Show)
Rapid effects of intensive therapy seen in brains of patients with OCD Jan 18, 2008
The study is exciting because it tells us more about how cognitive-behavioral therapy works for OCD and shows that both robust clinical improvements and changes in brain activity occur after only four weeks of intensive treatment," said Saxena. OCD is an anxiety disorder in which individuals have unreasonable fears or worries that they try to manage through ritualized compulsive behaviors to reduce the anxiety. For example, a patient may experience the urgent need to engage in certain rituals,... (EurekAlert!)
