Winthrop-University Hospital’s Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) facility
was recently awarded accreditation
for brain and oncology imaging by
the Committee on Nuclear Medicine
Accreditation of the Commission on
Quality and Safety of the American
College of Radiology (ACR). PET scanning
is a highly sophisticated technique
that assesses organ structure and
function simultaneously.
Ravikumar Johnson, Supervisor of the PET
Facility at Winthrop, reviews a patient’s
PET scan.
“The ACR Nuclear Medicine and
PET accreditation process serves as
an excellent quality improvement tool,”
said Elizabeth Yung, MD, Chief of the
Division of Nuclear Medicine at
Winthrop. “Winthrop’s designation as an
accredited ACR facility means we have
voluntarily achieved and maintained a
level of practice that promotes the
delivery of the highest quality care.”
While x-rays, computed tomography
(CT) and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) remain vital diagnostic
tools, the PET scan can see what the
other tests can’t – the body’s biochemical
functioning. PET technology is
unique in its function as a metabolic
imaging tool that is based on molecular
biology, which enables it to produce
detailed images of biochemical changes
which can be enlightening in ways that
structural images such as x-rays, CT
scans and MRIs cannot.
“PET scanning has become the
standard of care for the initial staging
and restaging of multiple types of
malignancies, and has the ability to
evaluate disease by assessing metabolic
activity,” said Dr. Yung.
“When there are suspicious findings
on a CT scan such as a mass or
lesion, a non-invasive PET scan can be
a valuable tool for further investigation,”
said Ravikumar Johnson, nuclear
medicine technologist and Supervisor
of the PET facility at Winthrop.
PET technology is particularly
useful in the diagnosis and treatment
of cancer, and is also valuable for
evaluating neurological disorders
such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease,
and other dementias because it can
help doctors see changes in the brain
that could be associated with the cognitive
or physiological symptoms. PET
scanning can also be useful in imaging
the brain to assess a number of
other conditions such as post-traumatic
brain injury, brain tumors and
movement disorders.
“PET scanning is also becoming
applicable in the assessment of cancer
patients to examine their
response to therapy,” added Dr. Yung.
PET scans can also eliminate the
need for exploratory tests and help
individuals avoid potentially expensive
and invasive surgeries later.
“Instead of an invasive procedure
such as a needle biopsy, a non-invasive
PET scan can be done to further characterize
a lesion,” said Mr. Johnson.
“There have been few, if any, reported
side effects or adverse reactions to PET
scans. The overall risk is minimal when
compared to the benefits,” he added.
The goal of the ACR Nuclear
Medicine and PET Accreditation
Program is to set quality standards
for facilities and to help them continuously
improve the quality of care
given to patients.
This voluntary accreditation program
offers nuclear medicine and PET
physicians the opportunity for comprehensive
evaluation and review of
facilities; personnel qualifications;
clinical and phantom image quality;
equipment; quality control procedures
and quality assurance programs
through a confidential, peer review
mechanism. The program is designed
to be educational, focusing on the primary
factors that have an impact on
the quality of clinical images and quality
of patient care.
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Vol. 20, No. 1
Winter/Spring 2010
Back to Publications
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