Brain Tumors

Brain tumors are most often discovered because of symptoms that the patient has developed - symptoms caused by the degeneration of function in the area of the brain that the tumor is forming. MR and CT scans of the brain are used to look at the brain when an abnormality is suspected. These give exquisite detail of the structure and anatomy of brain tumors, but provide only part of the picture. The level of aggressiveness is also important. Although tissue samples may indicate the grade of a tumor, PET scanning has been shown to be a more accurate predictor of patient outcome.

A PET scan can show how fast the tumor cells are growing, which helps your doctor determine the best course of treatment.