How Does PET Scanning Contribute to Epidemiological Studies?
PET scans provide functional imaging by detecting the metabolic activity in tissues. This is particularly useful in studying cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders, offering insights into disease mechanisms at the cellular level. In the context of epidemiology, PET scans are valuable for tracking the spread of epidemics and understanding population-level disease processes. For example, PET imaging can be used to monitor the effectiveness of new cancer treatments in clinical trials, providing data that can be extrapolated to larger populations.
