As Mercy Health Center builds its Imaging Center it announces yet another addition of vital equipment strengthening the regions quality of life by providing superior health care services and products.

The P.E.T. Scan other wise known as a Positron Emission Tomography scan was added to the extensive line of services now available at Mercy Health Center.

The non-invasive P.E.T. imaging procedure provides information about how tissue is functioning, compared to X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound or MRI that shows what the tissue looks likes.

Detecting metabolic activity within cells, the scanner detects the uptake of radioisotopes as they are metabolized in the body. To make this detection a small amount of radioactive glucose, or sugar, is injected into the patient’s bloodstream. As the glucose metabolizes the PET scanner, which resembles a CT scanner with a larger opening, scans the patient much like a camera taking pictures of the internal active functioning of tissues.

"It is our mission is to continually seek to provide the highest standard of care for our patients. Using advanced medical technology and equipment is just one more example of how Mercy Health Center is growing to offer area citizens the best health solutions available, right here at home," state Richard Allen, president and CEO, Mercy Health Center.

Mercy Health Center’s PET scanner will be available for three categories of testing:

• PET Whole Body (Oncology) ?Aiding in the detection of brain tumors, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, melonoma, musculoskeletal tumors, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer.

• PET Cardiac Viability ? Aiding in the detection of myocardial viability, coronary artery disease and preoperative prognostic assessment.

• PET Brain Scan ? Aiding in the detection of dementia, epilepsy and stroke.

For more information consult your physician or to receive a free brochure call Mercy Health Center at (785) 776-3322, have Mercy, to heal right here at home.