Positron Emission Tomography

When doctors test for cancer, a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is often used. Radioactive glucose is injected and the PET scan lights up any tumors because cancer cells need much more glucose for metabolism than normal cells. Glucose and fructose, you may recall, are the two halves of the molecule we call table sugar. Once ingested, this molecule rapidly splits into its simpler components: glucose and fructose. Starches, aka carbohydrates, also rapidly break down into their component glucose molecules. This scan for cancer works because the tumor cells require excess glucose consumption relative to healthy surrounding cells and allows the doctor can see the extent of the
cancer.