MENA REGIONAL INTRODUCES PET-CT SCANNER

(Mena, AR)  Mena Regional has introduced a new, state of the art detection and diagnostic service to patients and physicians in Mena in conjunction with Shared Medical Services of Madison, WI.  The PET-CT system will be available for the first time in Mena, Saturday, June 23.  This new PET-CT scanner is now being used to help diagnose cancer and other diseases at Mena Regional.  The scanner is a one-two punch of technology that provides great sensitivity in detecting and locating abnormalities in tissue throughout the body.  MRHS Administrator, Vince DiFranco, stated “This highly sophisticated technology can reveal life-saving information to the doctor by pinpointing the source of many of the most common cancers, heart and neurological diseases…and eliminates the need for redundant tests and diagnostic surgical procedures.  Local patients have been forced to drive up to 3 hours for this test in the past, and regardless of where their doctor is located, they can now take advantage of having this test available to them right here in Mena.”

            PET, or positron emission tomography, uses radioactive glucose to image the body’s metabolism at the cellular level, mapping the chemical functioning of organs or tissue.  Since cancer cells use more glucose than other cells in the body, PET can reveal the presence of cancerous tumors and provide key information about whether cancer has spread, a key component of cancer treatment.  PET is also used to diagnose heart disease and brain disorders, like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  CT, or computed tomography, is used to image a patient’s anatomy and can reveal abnormalities.  Used together in one machine, PET-CT combines PET’s early detection of disease with the precise internal organ visualization of CT.  The PET-CT procedure is painless and non-invasive and usually takes about half an hour.

            This service is available to local patients, regardless of where your doctor is located and does require a doctor’s order.  Discuss the local PET-CT now being offered in Mena with your physician.