Definition: A PET scan is a test used to detect areas in the body where there is increased metabolism present. Many areas of the body normally have high rates of metabolism (including many internal organs). Cancer metastases (areas of cancer spread) usually show abnormally high rates of metabolism and, thus, can often be detected on a PET scan.
For various reasons, PET scans are of limited usefulness in detecting prostate cancer metastases and, therefore, bone scans are more commonly used for evaluating prostate cancer.
