Northwest Health – Expands Cancer Care in La Porte County

4/13/2021

Northwest Health – La Porte announced that it is now offering Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging services in La Porte. The PET/CT unit saw its first patient on March 19.

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a test to detect and measure disease processes in the body such as cancer. It uses a safe, radioactive tracer to show biochemical changes taking place in the body. PET scans can detect disease, like cancer, before it is visible on other imaging tests.

“With the growth of our cancer care services and our continued dedication to keeping patients close to home for their medical treatment, we are pleased to offer the convenience of PET/CT scans in La Porte,” said Ashley Dickinson, CEO of Northwest Health. “Our experienced radiologists are specially trained to interpret these scans and provide valuable feedback to our oncologists.” With the addition of this service in La Porte, all three Northwest Health hospitals now provide PET/CT imaging.

The equipment available at Northwest Health – La Porte combines the strength of PET scans with Computed Tomography (CT). This allows radiologists to layer CT images with PET scan images. The CT portion of the images provide an accurate view of the physical structure of the patient’s body. When the biochemical changes from the PET images and the anatomy of the body are seen together, physicians can detect the presence of cancer at early stages, determine the stage of cancer based on the size and proportion of the tumor(s), assess treatment options like radiation therapy or surgery, and determine if cancer treatment is working as expected.

To learn more about cancer care at Northwest Health visit NWHealthIN.com.

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