Two Images Are Better Than One, Twice.

My PET scan is set for next week. Actually, it is a PET/CT scan, which takes PET & CT images at (nearly) the same time, providing a richer view than either type of imaging shows on its own. This type of scan has become the standard, especially for cancer patients.

NYU called me this morning and asked me if I was willing to have an additional, experimental scan done (at no cost to me or my insurer) after the PET/CT scan. They are testing PET/MRI (simultaneous PET and MRI scans) as an alternative to PET/CT scans. This is a newer technology (FDA approved last year), not yet widely deployed in the US, which has advantages including reduced radiation exposure and improved soft tissue contrast. So I get not one, but two double-image, 3D views of my insides next week.