EFFICACY OF POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET) COMBINED WITH COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) IN EARLY DETECTION OF CANCER

Abstract

This study addressed the topic of efficacy of Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography. In this context, it is emphasized that these two combined are capable of capturing images of the entire body in 30 minutes, which facilitates early detection and precise localization, in a non-invasive manner, of small malignant tumors and their metastases. Given the problem, the question is: how effective is Positron Emission Tomography (PET), combined with Computed Tomography (CT), in the early detection of cancer? In the research, the general objective was to analyze the efficacy of PET-CT for cancer detection, based on the investigation of how Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography can be effective in the early detection of cancer. While, the specific objectives were: Contextualize the use of positron emission tomography (PET-CT) in current clinical practice, highlighting its evolution and importance in the diagnosis of cancer; to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET-CT) in detecting cancerous lesions; to investigate the effectiveness of PET-CT in monitoring the response to cancer treatment; to analyze the impact of the use of PET-CT on clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Positron Emission Tomography combined with Computed Tomography are capable of capturing images of the entire body in 30 minutes, which facilitates early detection and accurate localization, in a non-invasive manner, of small malignant tumors and their metastases. The study carried out was a Literature Review through the qualitative approach of an investigative method that allows the evaluation of several authors in the context. After analyzing the research, the results presented demonstrate that PET-CT appears to be the most accurate examination among the current techniques for detecting cancer.