What is a PET Scan for Cancer?
A PET scan is an oncologic imaging test that uses positron emission tomography to create images of the body. A PET scan can diagnose cancer, help plan treatment, and monitor how well treatment works.
The primary purpose of a PET scan is to look for tumors in the body. A PET scan can detect tumors by exploiting the fact that cancer cells consume more sugar (glucose) than normal cells. The images from a PET scan can also help doctors determine the size and location of a tumor.
The body tightly controls metal homeostasis in healthy states, and many human diseases implicate its dysregulation as a cause or consequence. The study of trace metals in biology and medicine, historically known as inorganic biochemistry or bioinorganic chemistry, is becoming increasingly important and is now referred to as "metabolomics."
Homeostasis Definition
Walter Cannon first coined the term "homeostasis" in the 1930s, defining it as - the condition of a steady internal environment necessary for the survival of cells and organisms - homeostasis is the tendency of an organism or system to maintain equilibrium or a stable state.
Trace Metals in Cancer
The role of trace metals in cancer is complex and not fully understood. However, we know that dysregulation of metal metabolism can lead to tumor formation and progression. For example, copper is essential for cell growth and proliferation, while zinc is necessary for DNA synthesis and repair. Therefore, changes in the levels of copper or zinc can significantly impact cancer cell growth.
Metal Metabolism Uptake Creates More Accurate PET Scan for Cancer
PET scans rely on the fact that cancer cells uptake more sugar than normal cells. However, this is not the only difference between cancer and normal cells. Cancer cells also have a different metabolism than normal cells, often taking up more trace metals.
For a PET scan to be more accurate, the patient's body must have an adequate metal metabolism uptake. Metal metabolism uptake is the process by which the body uses metals from the environment and uses them for various purposes, including creating necessary enzymes for life.
A recent study found that patients with cancer with higher levels of metal metabolism uptake had more accurate PET scans. The study examined 111 patients scheduled to undergo a PET scan to determine the stage of their cancer. Researchers divided the patients into three groups based on their metal metabolism uptake levels.
The study results showed that the patients with the highest metal metabolism uptake had the most accurate PET scans. The scans in this group were able to detect 91 percent of the tumors that were present. In contrast, the scans in the group with the lowest metal metabolism uptake could only detect 58 percent of the tumors.
These findings suggest that a patient's level of metal metabolism uptake may be essential in determining the accuracy of PET scanning for cancer. Further research is necessary to decide on the validity of this claim. Still, these findings could significantly impact the utilization of PET scans in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The role of trace metals in cancer is complex and not fully understood. However, we know that dysregulation of metal metabolism can lead to tumor formation and progression. For a PET scan to be more accurate, the patient's body must have an adequate metal metabolism uptake. The CC Formula can quickly transport highly available zinc and copper through the epidermal layers across semi-permeable membranes to immediately be absorbed by diseased or healthy tissues at deficient concentrations.
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